When did you last run to work?

I'm almost embarrassed to say that I last ran to work in June - so long ago that I can remember nothing about the journey (which just goes to show how useful it is to blog these things!). In some ways it seems that the weather was quite similar to today with a bit of sun and a sensible temperature. The big difference of course is that back in June we were all eyeing up the summer in expectation while all we're eyeing up now is a well-stuffed turkey. This river of time malarkey is a real pain sometimes.

Anyway I had to run in this morning, whether I wanted to or not, because my wheels were at work and the tube is no fun when it's commuting time. Suffice to say that I didn't feel like putting on my running shoes and when I got outside I didn't feel like putting one foot in front of the other. Still a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do and so I just kept on rolling through the woods and over the Heath. Oddly enough by the time I descended down towards Kentish Town I began to feel in a bit of a groove and I couldn't help noticing that I sounded quieter than usual. Yes, that's right, it was the sound that caught my attention and the lack of clip-clopping; maybe this barefoot stuff is making a difference?

Oh I like this - a set of stairs it is!

From here I kept on listening and keeping to what I thought was a steady pace; the only reward for sprinting in your commute is a whole lot more sweating in the office and that's not good for anyone! However despite this my pace kept picking up and I felt quite fine about it.

So a total contrast to my race on Sunday and a welcome reminder of how it feels to run well. Sure I know that this is just a mid-week jog and of no real consequence but even so it's pleasing to actually derive some enjoyment out of running at the moment (or indeed any form of exercise it seems). Generally speaking my high points at the moment all revolve around bombing up Swains Lane and while I just love nailing this climb there aren't enough races up its steep flanks!

Distance: 7.5 miles
Time: 58m 21s