Route Canal Work

I know I've been whinging about the canal run to work and back but it is teaching me an important lesson in running. As I've mentioned previously I try to do a different route everytime I go for a run. This canal run is the same every time and provides a useful measuring stick for my progress. Having overtrained a few weeks ago I could see the effect it had on me: depressed heart rate, heavy legs and at 53 mins, an extra half minute a mile. Having rested I did it again on Wednesday and did it in 48 mins! That's 40 secs a mile faster in one week. For the non-runners out there that's a massive change is such a short time and is a sure sign that my glycogen reserves were depleted by the overtraining. I could feel the difference. It also seemed a hell of a lot shorter. So those extra miles weren't in vain after all.

Apparently we are moving office in June so I'm going to have to find a new route (assuming there's a shower at the new place).

Having mentioned Jos Naylor in my last post, who should be on the telly tonight but the man himself. He was on the Wainwright's Walks programme on BBC2. He's run from Seathwaite to the top of Scafell Pike (about 5 miles and 3000 feet) in 47 mins. It took the presenter and her film crew ten hours. I walked the same route, with a detour up Glaramara, last November on a gorgeous late autumn day. Think it took me about three hours. The photo, from Glaramara across to the Langdale pikes, was taken on that day. The day before I'd been on top of the pointed hill in the middle (Pike o'Stickle).

Take to the hills!