Laps in the woods

This morning I was all set for a jog around town at lunchtime what with the sun being out, and me needing as much time on my feet as possible, but when the time came it just didn't happen. Why? Well I remembered that I haven't run in my own neighbourhood in ages and I kind of miss it. Funny really! So I decided to head out when I got home with the side benefit of seeing how suited the local pavements are to barefoot running - after a few miles in the woods first.

So at about half-past six I jumped into my shoes (tipping the sand out first) and headed down the road. Not that I got far before bumping into Claude, a school dad who we've become good friends with, and a reminder that in just a few days the whole educational merry-go-round begins all over again! Until then though it's still the summer holiday and, at last, it's warm enough to feel like those long, hot days of my childhood - which meant that by the time I hit Highgate Woods I had a decent sweat on. Luckily I was only planning on a couple of laps to bring the run up to the 30-40 minute mark and thank goodness as I've enjoyed easier sessions! With a stitch on one side and then the other I felt far from super.

On the other hand I was quite looking forward to 6 or 7 minutes of barefoot running along my local pavement; if this works out in terms of surface (smooth is good) and comfort (clean is good) then I can see a long-term training opportunity here. As it happens the paving slabs are quite suitable although bits of branch and seed from the numerous trees hereabouts turn out to be, shall we say, painful. Also I seem to have rubbed a bit of a hole in one of my toes! Oh well - it's only skin and I think that the soles of my feet are starting to toughen up now. I just need to keep at it.

Distance: 5.1 miles

Time: 40m 39s