Even the best-laid plans sometimes go wrong...

Aimed for the 3 x runs at the beginning of the week (Monday, Thursday and one at the weekend). Let's see how this pans out.

Goal Monday:
Planned to do the 9 miles along to Haslar wall again.

Reality Monday:
Didn’t run today for no other reason other than my left heel felt crap. Dunno how it’s happened but it feels like I’ve been hit with a hammer and it’s bruised as! Figured the best thing to do would be to rest it. What doesn’t help is that every single step is like someone smashing it with a lump-hammer. So.. no run today and it’ll be deferred to Thursday (teaching at the dojo Tuesday ‘n’ Wednesday) when a long one is due. Either way, I’ll be making up for the miss I promise.

Thursday Goal:
Was going to be a longish one. Looking to do 9-12 miles although I don’t have a route planned.

Actual Thursday:
Out with Kev again and foot injury seemed to be pretty much gone. Kev’s got the Great South Run in a couple of weeks so has his own goal which works out fine for me too. Gives me a great running partner since we’re running at the same pace and having a good ol’ natter en route too. Let’s hope he keeps running afterwards. Set out to do 9-12 miles but ended up with 9.5 in the bank. Morning was dead nice weather (sunny) but the forecast was rain later and needless to say, yep, it bloody did! We got fricken drowned but on a positive, it’s gonna be wet in the Amazon at 100% humidity (it ain’t called the Rain Forest for nothing) but at least out there it should be warm rain.

I know I bleat on about the pack but I did some serious repacking. Although the rubbing had gone it was quite “bouncy” across my shoulders so, unpacked it and set the sacks of rice vertically alongside each other. Loads better!! Just goes to prove that when the time comes, I’ll need to be 100% sure I’ve tried & tested it with the proper kit I’ll be hauling through the jungle. Get that shit wrong and it could be messy on so many levels.

Friday Goal:
Re-enrol with the gym. Do a short run up Portsdown Hill and back to the gym for a bit of upper body stuff. If it’s raining the run will happen after the gym (so I’m not dripping wet during the gym workout).

Fricken Friday:
To make up for the Monday’s missed sesh I hit the gym in the afternoon and then up the hill afterwards. Decided on taking Portsdown hill on mainly coz I was at the gym and the hill is right outside the door. I’ve not run it for a couple of years, mostly b’cause ya take yer life in yer hands on the roads up there! Anyway, the first ½ mile is a killer with quite a steep incline and then it undulates. The nice bit is the return run. Downhill – love it!!

Gym: always knew I’d need to get some serious upper body work done so in typical “me” fashion I like to get stuff started as soon as possible (I hate leaving things to the last minute). Renewed my gym membership at the 24/7 gym in Fareham and plan to get there on the nights where a run isn’t possible through injury (like Monday for example) or on running rest days. Sadly, I’m gonna have to cut back my guitar lessons to fortnightly and fill that slot with the gym instead but hey, it’s all about priorities right?.

I’m kinda hoping that the extra upper body weight training will help to get back and shoulders in better shape for when I up the pack to 11-12kg next year. I’ll see how I get on with my own routine but if all goes tits-up then I’ll rebook a few sessions with Holly. She’s a fricken awesome Personal Trainer at 24/7 and I can tell ya, she IS a bloody task-master and then some but knows her stuff and slaughters ya! 

Saturday Goal:
Park run followed by a short distance. Looking to top out at between 7-9 miles.

Slog Saturday:
Park run +. Quite enjoyed last week’s Park Run so decided to do it again, didn’t aim to better last weeks’ time but more to be part of a run group and then to head off and do my own shit afterwards.

Weirdly enough, the wind was a bit crap but still managed to knock a whole minute off the time from last week despite the pack now weighing almost 10kg so in at 24.:31 which is exactly 3 mins slower then by PB without weight. I’m absolutely gonna fly when I can run without the weight!

Went off and did the airfield after the obligatory natter with the Park Run folk but I’d rubbed away a bit of my back on the seam of the pack so had to sort it part way through. Seems there’s a couple of hidden straps that tighten the load and bring it higher up. Anyway, yanked it right up as high as it goes and it seemed considerably better (and missed the patch I’d worn away earlier). Defo gotta get the pack properly prepared before the Amazon. Can’t begin to imagine what the ramifications would be if it isn’t right first time.
 
So, a new week, new goals and more graft. Let's be havin' ya!
Have a great one too folks. Might be seeing some of you out there so keep the horn honkin' going, it's always nice to see ya.  
 
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