A Christening, Eye Candy and Character Building

Last weekend should have been the weekend that I attempted a PB and the Royal Berkshire 10k. Or maybe even gone out for my own 10k virtual race. However in the end neither of these things happened. Instead I became Godmother to this beautiful and happy little girl and ate far more sandwiches, spring rolls and cupcakes than I reasonably should have. It was marvelous. And my friend Debbie smashed out a new PB for herself at the Royal Berks 10k which is fantastic.

In fact, I didn't run at all at the weekend. I spent Friday and Saturday in London with a good friend of mine. There was wine, late night chit chat, brunch, a restorative stomp across Hampstead Heath and an indulgent couple of hours in an art house cinema. I met my mum at the Peacock theatre on Saturday evening to see Titanium - a modern mix of Hip Hop, Breakdancing and Flamenco with a real wow factor (and some serious eye candy).

The running I have done has been surprisingly enjoyable. The weather gods may smile on us for the RunFitUK sessions but they certainly took their wrath out on me before hand as I squeezed in a 4 miler. I was soaked and battered with rain and hail the moment I stepped out of the front door. It would let up, I'd almost dry out, and then it would start again. Character building, I think it's called... On Wednesday evening I met up with some of the Box Bell Fit Endure24 team runners for another training run. We ran our usual 4.5 mile route through the woods taking in some hills and I ran there and back too, giving me a nice 8 miles in the bank. I'm pants at uphill running but give me a downhill and I'm away, something that was commented on more than once! 

It was a Good Post week with the arrival of new trail shoes, my Team Bear tri suit and a stack of laces and samples (plans afoot!) A pre-work off-road run with another Endure24 team member through dewy fields was the perfect opportunity to test them out. I was wrecked by the end but my toes were dry and my ankles unsprained. It was a hard run but I'd expected it to be and that was part of the point. My running partner, despite having already tackled a kettlebells class, is much speedier and I was running on empty after the 8 miles the night before. Without her I would have quit after one lap but I couldn't face dropping out so 4 miles it was! Excellent practice for Endure24 in terms of levels of tiredness and terrain, and a reminder that my usual fueling strategies do work. It was also a lesson in pacing for us both!

In addition to the running I went to a new class and tackled the latest Metafit release. I've got a fairly heft session to tackle over the Bank Holiday weekend but there'll be plenty of relaxation too. A day trip to one of my favourite National Trust properties, Mottisfont, and a local beer and wine festival are planned. Should be a good one!

What types of running do you find hardest? What fun plans do you have for the Bank Holiday weekend?