Castle Howard

So, sitting here on a Sunday evening waiting to start my work. Have a podcasting training session to finalise, and an observation with a year 10 class to teach tomorrow. A few moments on distraction on this are most welcome.

So. I arrived a bit later to Castle Howard - at about 10:15 am for an 11:15am start. Was told by another runner it started at 11:00am, which I thought would leave me little time to warm up.

My number wasn't delivered, so I had the pleasure of running with a hand-written job.

The day was delicious, and there were many. Although I was near the back, I pretty much overtook constantly as I ran. My final time was 54.35, which was slower than before. However, I ran my hardest, so I think it's training that needs to be increased this side of things.

http://www.ukresults.net/2009/howard10.html

Egton 10k

So. I arrived at a very early time - about 10:15 for a race starting at 11:30. I wandered around Egton appreciating its North Yorkshireness, and applauded the fun runners. Particularly distinctive, and rather impressive, was a pirate boat launching from the start.

I appreciated the time I took to warm up, and the steps I took to avoid the usual chaffing.

Starting the race, I was chatting to several competitors. Feeling the adrenaline going, I started slow. After the first kilometre, I began to speed up.

Knowing my usual pace, and knowing my mentality, I am keen to burn my energy in the first part. Instead, somehow, experienced prevailed and I kept a steady pace. Slowly I overtook the stragglers and the slower runners. Certainly, too, I was speeding up in the last three kilometres.

As I ran this, I imagined God as my thighs. How would you appreciate this metaphors? Because the rest of me hurt, but my thighs keep going. I can depend on them, and focus on them as - bizarrely - the toes on my right foot hurt most. Still, I finished strongly, and feel full of energy now.

Ask me about it tomorrow.

As ever, the interesting thing will be to see if I am running another race soon. The time? Will be posted here soon, when I find it out...

The first 10k tomorrow

So, you may have read the 'about me' section. Beside this is a record of my running so far.

Who am I? I am your typical sprinter. Able to put all into a run, and able to put in all for a short time. Weeks, even. Life in my later youth, though, has seen me continue again and again and again when before I may have stopped.

I consider at this time the greatest thing I can do, beyond testaments to trust and faith, is to move from one thing to another with seemless ease - to let the fleeting sport of one mode and mindset slip into another. What form has this philosophy taken so far? Moving from bed to breakfast, from such food to a warm shower, and then the wilful movement away from the warmth of a cubicle to the cold of the morning air again. Yes, I know well what I mean by this.

How many Saturday nights have consisted of this so far?

I consider myself lucky to have these opportunities. Tomorrow I expend energy, and seek to batter my muscles with micro-tears in the attempt find something else. Somewhat elusive this may be, let's see how tomorrow will be.