February 21st - Road run

Absolutely dog-tired all afternoon, and the sun had given way to grey and drizzle. Didn’t get a chance to run until the kids were tucked up in bed, by which time it was very dark. Brief duty-run on the road turned into a bit of a road-to-Damascus moment. Immediately I set off I discovered that my legs wanted to run hard, and the planned 25-minute jog turned into a 45-minute burn-up via Linton Bankhead and the Yetholm back-road. Pretty hilly. Felt like I was flying, which may have been an illusion encouraged by the dark. I’ve noticed before that it’s easier to run hard on the road when it’s dark, or lashing with rain. The same impression can also be achieved by drinking a few pints before a run, but I don’t think that in such circumstances the impression is totally reliable! Finished with a 10-minute jog / stumble along the potholed farm track back to the house. No bloody hot water for a decent bath. Decided that I really ought to hammer out a few hard road miles each week to try to coax a bit of speed back into the legs, and perhaps even think about a couple of road-races later in the year.