First Steps

This weekend I did my first proper long run of 2010. The weeks before I'd been confined to the gym by the ice, and a few short (not to mention limb-riskingly brave!) ventures out amidst the snow midweek hadn't satisfied my craving to really stretch my legs and feel the burn, so on Sunday I got weirdly excited about heading outside. The route I chose for my 'first footing' of the new year was a classic 9.5 mile loop on part of the Tarka Trail between Barnstaple and Bideford, and because it's been so long since I ran that stretch I couldn't help but think about what had changed in the time since I was last there. On the surface nothing had changed, and some corners of North Devon I hope never will, but the atmosphere did feel different.

Last time I was out on the Trail I was cycling to work in the other direction (to Croyde) at the end of October and the only people I passed were hardy souls walking their dogs or miserable-looking cyclists like me. On this Sunday morning there were walkers, fishermen, families and photographers everywhere, all beaming and dressed to the hilt in dayglo outdoor gear. It seems the sudden blast of arctic weather we've had not only encouraged everyone to better equip themselves for outdoor persuits (hence all the shiny new gear), but has made people appreciative of the days when we can get out and enjoy the fabulous fresh air. It felt amazingly freeing to be able to go wherever I wanted and not be penned in by the snow blockages on certain roads and the invisible danger of black ice on others, and from the smiles I encountered on the Tarka Trail this weekend I reckon more than a few people were also relishing their new found freedom.

For me, the other difference during my run was that last time I ran the track I had my training partner with me. Now she is off travelling around warmer parts of the world (Africa- and I'm not jealous at all!) and I am back to having only my thoughts to keep me company on the long slogs towards my peak marathon training distance of 22 miles. This weekend's run was not even half that distance, but I found I was easily enough amused so am optimistic about my ability to make it through the next 16 weeks. The only problem was sometimes finding I was losing pace as I drifted off into daydreams about the sea, life, love, the universe, etc and I missed Mary's time keeping. If I am to do more training on my own I might have to consider matching some music to my running speed and investing in some playlists which keep the tempo up above the gentle jog I tend to revert to when lost in my own world.

New Year, New Goal

So it's been far too long since I wrote in this blog. This is partly due to thinking of ideas for my blog over at Ransacker taking up the running/musing time I used to reserve for my waffling on here, but also because after finishing the London Marathon in the spring I spent the rest of the year with no fixed training plan and trying a whole range of different activities, from lifeguarding to cycling and intensive gym-ing.

But I have still been run-exploring, and my travels over the past year mean I can now add a whole slew of new locations to the list of places I have trodden in my faithful trainers. The most exciting of those would have to be along Venice Beach to Santa Monica in Los Angeles, a run which re-formed my opinion of the city, as the pleasant footpaths, clean sands, and smiles from fellow joggers cast a different light on the neighbourhood we'd arrived in late the night before and found full of intimidating cars, shadowy men and seedy alleyways reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto. My run brought out for me just one of the many faces of the City of Angels, but it was one which I was more able to relate to and made my time there much more enjoyable as a result. An excellent example of how running-exploring allows you to get beneath the skin of a destination and discover more.

My experience at London taught me that the environment in which I'm running is the main factor in my enjoyment, and the feeling of exploring a different or wonderful place is more important to me than the crowds or the kudos of the event. So this year I have signed up for the Brathay Windermere marathon, in the Lake District, billed as one of the toughest and most scenic races in the country. I am really looking forward to getting started on a new training plan and having an excuse to seek out even more interesting places to run.

Happy new year!