Defensive Running

Juneathon day 17 run 9.66km time 55min

For some reason this year’s Juneathon has included a certain amount of trolley spotting but today the trolley is not merely abandoned, it is dead. Drowned in the canal, with only its little wheels visible.

I was by the canal again today because, for the first time in ages, the sky was cloudless and the temperature warm. If you run by the canal you not only get the psychological cooling from the sight of water, you have the real cooling effect of trees and shade from direct sunlight. As someone whose body shape is more eskimo than equatorial I do not cope too well with heat and so seek places to shelter. Pavements are terrible, they just reflect the sun and gradually bake you.

Having said that I am glad it is sunny again. It seems to make everyone more relaxed and today there was even some eye contact and smiles of acknowledgement with people I passed.

On today’s run I was mulling over a quote from Seneca - “he who studies with a philosopher should take away with him some one good thing every day: he should daily return home a sounder man, or on the way to becoming sounder.” I applied it to running rather than philosophy and questioned whether each run makes me better or puts me on the path to improvement. I am not sure it does but there again my aim is far more defensive: I am trying to stop myself becoming a more feeble runner. Each run is like another brick in the supporting wall.

However it made me think that I ought to try and think of one good thing about each day’s run. Mostly I run and do not think too much about the purpose and what was achieved. Perhaps I should be more focused.

Today for example I could take some heart from the fact that I finished feeling quite strong and increased my pace for the last hundred metres. So that is what I will take away.

Juneathon statistics 17/17
Run 12/17
distance 85.62km
time 7hr 54min
Cycle 3/17
distance 54.4 miles
time 4hr 03min
Gym 2/17
time 1hr 35min