Distance: 6.14mile
Time: 1:25:57min
Avg Speed: 4.29mph
Avg Pace: approx. 13:59min/mile
Calories Burned: 833
Hey folks and a top of the morning to you all. I was up at 6.30 and out on the road by 6.45am, how keen am I? I did have a false start though as I forgot my water bottle and figured I would need it as I intended to go a fair jaunt today. So I had to scoot back down the street and get it. A few minutes later and the usual delayed reaction from my tracker app, I was on my way. First I had to divert to the church hall to open up for a booking later this morning but soon enough I was happily trotting along my usual Saturday morning route.
This week in one of our catch up chats my lifelong friend, told me that I should take my ipod with me as music helps one to run better. My running so far has been sans music so today I tried an experiment and took my ipod along to keep me company to see if this distracted me at all or helped me keep my pace. Well dear reader I do believe it did help as I was able to run to the beat also because I was listening to music I don’t think I stopped as frequently thus making my ‘walky-runny’ phases seem fewer and I clocked my longest continuous distance ever by managing to run nonstop for about 1.4mile
I selected my play list from some of my all-time favourite classic songs which include: The Water Boys The Whole of the Moon, Elbow One day like this, The Jam A Town Called Malice and Squeeze Up The Junction to name but a few and listening to the music got me thinking of you guys again. As I jogged on singing along with the artists ringing in my ears I pondered the questions of what makes for a good running track and how many of you who are reading this blog also run? If so what do you listen to? So if you would like to add a comment recommending tracks for me to listen to I would be interested to hear from you please leave a comment.
One little incident on my run this morning amused me which I think is worth sharing. Whilst jogging along in my new shoes and comfy running clothes at my 12minute mile pace, I saw, coming in the opposite direction, an African student, wearing ordinary clothes including a heavy anorak (with the hood up!) and carrying a large back pack (probably full of books) but he was running at a pace and with an ease I could only dream about. We exchanged a cheery ‘good morning’ and both ran off in opposite directions to our different destinations. I was struck not so much with envy but with total admiration for his ability to make what I am struggling to achieve look so natural. So I share this story as an homage to the African distance runner who God has blessed with a skill and ability that is hard to surpass but so enamoured am I by it that I take inspiration from this boy and hope that one day my plodding little jog may inspire another.
Monday 12th March
Distance: 1.25mile
Time: 14:30min
Avg Speed: 5.16mph
Avg Pace: approx. 11:37min/mile
Calories Burned: 169
A new week and I start it with a run. I am posting two blogs today as the weekend was so busy that I did not have time to finish my Saturday post. So today good reader in true supermarket fashion you are getting ‘two for the price of one’ my first BOGOF* blog! (*Buy One Get One Free – BOGOF is a supermarket acronym widely used here in the UK)
I am not working today
as later on I will be going to the funeral of my neighbour a lovely man who has
been taken too soon but someone who, if he was still here, would take an
interest in my endeavours as we frequently chatted (nay flirted!) over the
garden gate. I would shout ‘ey up sexy’ and wolf whistle at him when he passed
and he would reciprocate with an equally roguish comment. He was a great walker
and walked much of the British countryside doing it with ease and a celebratory
read of the Racing Times, a cigarette and a few pints in the nearest pub. Sadly
this charming man succumbed to a series of strokes which saw him depart this
earth on 27th March so later today I and most of the neighbourhood
plus family, friends and the regulars at the local taverns, The Original Oak, The Skyrack and the
Headingley Taps, will celebrate the life of this much missed man by doing what
he liked to do best … having a pint- and in honour of the man I too will drink
a pint of beer from a manly pint pot and not a girly half! Rest in peace George
I loved you and I will miss you, you were a great character and gardening just won’t
be the same without your passing comments on my work or inappropriate gardening
clothes!!!My run today was a short one but a very good one emotionally. I ran with music again and I am convinced now that it does help as I repeated a run of a few weeks ago and did 90% of it without stopping. Whereas previously I stopped at least 3 times, today I did not stop at all AND I clocked my fastest mile yet AND I ran up ¾ of a hill I would normally walk up AND I am very close to breaking my 11minute mile barrier, managing a mile today in 11.07. So all in all I feel encouraged by my efforts. I must be getting better!
I am reminded of why I am doing this as the latest magazine from the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign (MDC) arrived at the weekend with news of people doing all they can to support this crippling condition and I am spurred on in my efforts to use what ability I do have to help those who cannot do what I am able to do. If you want to read about the MDC its work, outreach, campaigns and research you can just log on to their site
www.muscular-dystophy.org and see why I am doing this. If you feel you want to support me then you can log onto my just giving account and make a donation www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC. I think I will paste this link at the end of all my blogs from now on but doing so this comes with the caveat; huge thanks to all of you who have donated already.
Thank you for your support.
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