According to the training plan we worked out for the next few months, we were to cover 15 miles across the two days this weekend. I did point out that a 10k run in the Lake District isn’t like a 10k run along the canal towpath and that I might struggle both mentally and physically to get my arse out of bed after the Hawkshead event. I don’t think Kath was that impressed by my excuse at the time so the 15 mile weekend stayed on the training plan.

After yesterday I went to bed really early and slept really well for about 2 hours. Then I woke up and pretty much repeated that pattern throughout the night. I woke up properly about 7am. Kath wasn’t there so when my eyes had adjusted enough so I could read I looked at her note – she’d gone for a run about 6.30am. I curled up with our Shack for a bit feeling lazy and also trying to assess the level of aches and pains. No pain. I went for a pee. The damage from Hawkshead seemed to be as follows

1. Slightly aching ankles
2. One little blister on my left foot
3. Making themselves known glutes
4. Possibly grumpy hips

So nothing to worry about really. This is all normal after running that takes me out of my comfort zone in terms of speed, distance or terrain. I expected worse. This was good because none of it was pain. It was more that smug ‘I’ve done some exercise’ sort of feeling. The cat wanted attention so I got back into bed and wondered if I really needed to go out and run today. But I wanted to. I wanted to go stretch my legs.

I was just about to head off when Kath came back from her run. So I set off on the Guth leg of the Self/Guth relay run of the day. I wasn’t really sure where I was going to go. After yesterday I didn’t want anything technical or slippery, just didn’t have the headspace for that. I started off looping through the estate further down the hill and then turned onto the canal towpath towards Bingley. At the next bridge I came off and walked back up the hill and turned right towards Morton. Then I turned right and headed back down and looped back along the canal. I was now close to 4 miles and beginning to feel it. I was tired.

There was also something going on in my head – I really didn’t want to run the same section of the canal twice so I came off at the next bridge again and dropped down onto the road. It’s Sunday so there was very little traffic . I probably wouldn’t have done it otherwise because I hate running with traffic noise. I passed the cemetery and was tempted to run a couple of loops in there but somehow it seemed disrespectful on a Sunday morning so I kept going on. I got back onto the canal towpath for a bit, went uphill on the road a bit and ran out of steam. I was at about 5.5 miles and it was so tempting to turn right and go home rather than left to complete my miles. I decided to walk a little because even though tired, nothing hurt and I wanted to get the miles in. I asked the #Run1000miles group to send energy on FB and they duly obliged. Awesome people. I was about to head down the road that runs parallel to the canal when I bumped into one of the dog walkers I know from our sheep days. I stopped and chatted to her for a bit and it was a welcome break.

After the chat I took a deep breath and headed on for my last couple of miles. It was tough going. I stuck to the run/walk intervals as much as I could but the gentle slopes were starting to feel like the Coffin Trail all over again and I ended up walking more than I usually have to on that route. I was relieved to turn onto the flat canal towpath and managed to run/walk to schedule until I got to the next bridge where I stopped and started to walk home. I walked up the hill and just as I got to the top I bumped into Kath’s mum who was walking to our house so I abandoned the very vague thoughts I’d had about running home lamp post to lamp post and walked back with her.

8.30 miles taking me to a total of 191 miles so far for 2018. Happy!