Sun and blue sky above Belgium. It looked like a fantastic day from inside the house. One step outside and I thought I'd been transported a la Mr Benn to Siberia. Check out the first episode HERE. This was what I watched as a very very young kid. As a teenager we'd discuss the fact that Mr Benn never went to work and that he was obviously a businessman who was signing the dole but not wanting to let his neighbours know. A fallout from living through Mrs Thatcher's unemployment regime of the early 80's....
The wind was very strong and painfully steady from the East and it was as cold a wind as I can remember, certainly as cold a wind as I can remember when I was out with shorts on and not a pair of skis in sight.
The first 5K to the top of M.Hedgehog is almost exclusively straight into the wind and all my extremities are really feeling the cold. Eyes streaming and fingers numb and oddly above only blue sky and the bright bright sun.
5K drops off in 25:45 so reasonable enough and I was still feeling a little tight in the legs. Up the cobbles and down to Butte Du Lion and 11K in 1:00:18...just shy of getting under the hour.
I really started to wind up the pace down the N5 and was pushed along at a great clip by Runrig singing this old favorite I felt my legs really loosening up and my pace felt extremely fast without actually feeling any cardio strain.
The turn at the farm back down home leaving about 3.5K put me straight into the wind again and I felt my legs starting to ache but I kept up a reasonable pace until I felt a tweak at the back of my leg on the downhill section. At first I thought I'd caught a hair on my leg but it got worse and as I running downhill and was stretching my strides I was sure it was a hamstring problem. I stopped for a minute and a quick stretch and massage and it felt better. I dropped the pace as I only had 1.5K to go and as it was mostly uphill after that my strides were naturally shorter so less stress on the back of my leg.
No permanent damage done and despite the stop my finish time was 1:36:32, still had a bit left in the tank at the end as I was taking it easy on the run in.
Current running music playlist highlights
Difficult for Weirdos
Made in Germany
100MPH
She's Alright FANTASTIC To Run To
This is the last time
Black Burning Heart
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Brrrrrr...nothing worse than being cut in half by a biting wind! Hope the weather is a little kinder to us at the weekend - sunny and cool would be perfect.
ReplyDeleteCompleted the Milngavie Waterworks 10k in 43.50 which I am very happy about given the early stage in the season. Was leading for 6k but could hear this guy's feet pounding the path behind me the whole way. Then at 6k he dropped a gear and shot into the lead and was a good 20s ahead of me until he took a wrong turning and added an extra 500m to his route :-) I therefore regained the lead and finished some time ahead of him :-) Bawbag.
He is in training for the Edinburgh marathon in May and completed it last year in 3:20 - so pretty fit and ran effortlessly..
Was a great place to run - totally flat, no wind and some lovely scenery too. bananas. caramel wafers and water on the finish line was a nice touch by the organiser's wife.
Photo to follow.
Stu,
ReplyDeleteA great time and a winner too. How did he get lost running round a big pond? was it Jimmy Saville or Stevie Wonder ?
A Carmel wafer and a Happy Ending...you can't really ask for more than that. I'm smiling for you.
Was indeed freaking cold ! I was out for a 60 k cycling ride around your place late morning. The coldness reminded me of a skiing trip back when I was a teenager and it was -30°C at the top of the mountain.... Not looking forward to the next ride in these conditions... :)
ReplyDeletePhilippe
Bad enough running, must have been hell on the bike....well done. Do you still have all your fingers and toes :O)
ReplyDelete