When it comes to running, I really need to get back to work. Of course, no one can sustain peak fitness constantly, but I have definitely taken a rather large step backwards since London Marathon. But in a way, I rather like this process: everyone needs a period of relative downtime and not pushing too hard, and following it, there’s something quite satisfying about looking ahead and knowing that in even a few weeks or months, I’ll be feeling a lot better on my feet than I do right now. Let the summer sweatfest commence!
On which note, yesterday I ran the inaugural London 10 mile race. I love the 10 mile distance – long enough to be a real test but not so long as to totally wipe you out. And there can be few more beautiful places to run in London than these hills. Oh, those hills. Apart from the odd cross-country race in winter and the club event the Parkland Relays, I’ve rarely raced in the park and certainly never on the (closed) roads. My usual Richmond Park run is around the Tamsin trail, an easy seven mile loop. Turns out that setting off the almost entirely uphill first mile on road at ‘race pace’ is not a terribly good idea when you’ve been insanely over-optimistic about what that race pace might actually be. Ouch. After four miles I had a little stop and then just decided to enjoy the rest, chatting with friends and strangers and tree surgeons hanging over the road. Meanwhile my kids did the family fun run and got their own medals and goody bags. A wonderful way to spend a morning, and another batch of bling for the household.
And at this rate, my kids are going to need one of those medal hangers of their very own. Each. What do you do with your medals? I’ve got a small statuette, made by my great-aunt, in my front room who wears my marathon and PB medals. Very fetching he looks too. The others hang over the bannisters, various door knobs and in drawers. Anyone with better solutions, let me know.
So over to you: share your weekend triumphs, woes, niggles and ingenious medal storage solutions below the line as always
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