Slow and steady wins the race

So I haven't blogged for a week, since my last blog I have done 3 runs. The first was my usual 3miler last Thursday. I set off and felt strong for the first 2 miles, then for the last mile the ankle pain kicked in again, I did run through it ... just!

By this point it was clear that I was going to have a few days rest, conveniently the weather was superb! I did nothing at all remotely resembling exercise on Friday Saturday or Sunday. Also I had a bit of a realisation on the old beer front, surly If i had a couple of beers this wasn't going to scupper my marathon chances? I found myself sat on the stray in the blazing sun with the boys, the beer was flying round and everyone was having a whale of a time, apart from me. I wouldn't say that you or I need to have a drink to enjoy ourselves, that defiantly isn't the case, but at that point in time all I wanted was a nice cold beer and when I really thought about why I wasn't letting myself have one it all seemed a bit redicoulous. The key here is moderation my friend!

Any how I ended up having about 6 bottles then about 4 pints in town and wobbled home and fell asleep!!

So after a few beers and BBQ's (I behaved at the BBQ's and only had 1 burger or a bit of chicken) we come to Monday, my second run since we last spoke and after 3 days rest for me. I set off early Monday morning, the weather was still grand and I was feeling good after my long weekends rest. Off I set with the intention of doing my normal 3 miler. I decided to slow my pace down to about 9min/miles from 8min/miles. Slow and Steady wins the race!

Almost exactly half way round my 3 miler I am at ASDA in the centre of Harrogate and I turn back on myself and run back home on a different route. However I felt really good, no niggles of pain at all AND i was really enjoying myself, so i cracked on into town. I ended up running 6 miles in just a smidgen over an hour, not a quick pace I know but I felt great after.

That afternoon I went up to Saltburn with the parents and the Mrs. lovely afternoon and we ended doing a nice 5mile stroll down the beach, so that day I had carried my self 11 miles, good times.

I took this picture while we where there...

Naturally I had a rest day in Tuesday and that brings us to last night. I got back from work and got my running gear on, at work I had mapped a nice new 5miler that took me down to Knaresborough back up to Starbeck and back to mine. I was really looking forward to it, but a little bit nervous, I couldn't decide which way round to run it! It was a lot more hilly than any of the other runs I had done, but it seemed either way was going to be a bastard! Off i set to Knaresborough first, I wont bore you with an account of the entire run, it had it ups and downs but in the last 2miles I really started to settle into it and felt really comfortable, so when I got about quarter of a mile from my house I turned round and started running the other way!

I felt brilliant and wasn't ready to stop, I knew I had loads left in me. I ended up running into the centre of Harrogate, anyway it ended up being 10 miles when I got home, and I didn't stop once :)

Here is the route...

Things are looking up, I feel a lot better than I did last week, and I have learnt a very valuable lesson .... Drink Beer!