Two days off is two too many

Sometimes the best of intentions just don't make it do they? Lovingly conceived and nurtured they turn out to be DOA - a pretty good description of Monday and Tuesday for me. So much for getting that proper speed session in. On the other hand when lunchtime came around today I was going to get out if it killed me and once again Hyde Park stepped up to the plate. I have to say I felt a touch rusty during those first few warm-up miles though, slogging along at around 4:50min/km; sitting in an office chair all day really doesn't do me any favours. In fact a study reported just today reckons that even an extra minute away from your desk makes a measurable difference.

Either way once I made it to the sandy horse-routes in the park they turned out to be a sodden mess of mud, manure and memories of Waterloo in 1812. It's a shame since in the summer these tracks provide a soft surface to run on that really gives my calves a work-out and is so uneven that my ankles have definitely toughened up. If you don't believe me this photo shows just how good the routes can get:

London eh and those crazy arts-types! Still you do see some pretty strange things going on in parks, cough cough. Must be all the fresh air. Today though it was all hard graft and after the first 3 miles my legs had woken up and it was sub-4:30min/km all the way back to the office. Quite a nice way to spend an hour if I say so myself although there was a moment coming down Constitution Hill where I was chasing this old geezer (white hair and all) and making little impression on his lead. A bit of a shock to the system frankly and only a bit lessened by him stopping and telling me that he was doing 800m intervals. Phew! I just hope that I've got his legs when I'm in my dotage.

Distance: 7.8 miles

Time: 59m 20s