Re: Bob's Bits.

Bob, good seeing you in your natural environment, this is me with the Ladies.

Re: Bob's Bits.

Nice Photo Spitty...
You're a lot younger than I imagined....

Re: Bob's Bits.

An uncannily still and benign morning as I stepped outside for my Thursday five mile run, it was like the weather had been postponed, with not even a breeze to ruffle the treetops, and the sky was a unbroken blanket of grey.

I still feel cautious and instinctively over exaggerate my running style and try to pick up my feet, as I run across that bumpy fieldside path where I fell last week....It's a relief to feel the hard tarmac of the footpath as I spill out into a housing estate.

Frustration led to occasional bursts of speed, and although my legs felt tired, I managed to knock one second off my Tuesday time.....

Re: Bob's Bits.

A run, is a run, is a run! We are all a bit off, Cedronella. Somehow I expect that you will be back at full throttle soon .

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Well now, this is a fine read. The love of the great outdoors and wildlife (in Spitty's case it's the female sort) is sure indescribable and addictive, even as that watch keeps ticking along.

The thing that upset me most during the lockdown on this side of the pond is that we weren't even allowed to run, walk, or cycle in our parks and on our beaches. As they say, you never know how much you love something until you lose it.

Re: Bob's Bits.

I feel for you Surfermom, being denied the sport you love. Don't they realise that it's as important to a runner to go out into nature and breathe the fresh clean air periodically, as it is for a whale or seal to surface occasionally for its survival.

They would have had to post an armed guard at my gate to stop me going for my regular runs....Although, it was probably easier for me being mainly road and track running and not in public areas....

How is it now Surfermom? Are things returning to normal? And are you managing to get out? It's good to see you posting again, especially in 'Bob's Bits'......

Which leads me seamlessly on to this mornings 8.2 miles.....
Following my heart attack the coronary nurse explained that it takes about ten minutes for the muscles to fill with blood and be ready to exercise. But it takes at least twenty minutes for the heart to attain optimal output and be ready for some serious road running. Probably longer in an old bloke after two such attacks.....

I've never been one for warming up or stretching, theory being, that if I take the first mile leisurely that will suffice for the 'Warming up' period.
It has always served me well in the past, but these days I find that at least the first mile or two or even three, I struggle with tired legs and short of breath. After that the world is my oyster and I can run forever....

And so it was on this morning's run. It was so dark at 6:30am and the sky was filled with heavy grey cloud. A warm breeze caressed my face and legs, but the first three miles had me wishing that I could find a more sedate hobby. Without a good reason to just make it a six, I automatically took the right fork in the road and climbed the small rise on my eight mile route.

From that moment on, the lethargy and tiredness that had plagued me for the last three miles lifted, like a waking from a bad dream, and I just felt stronger and stronger.
So the end product of my labours produced a very respectable time for my 8.2 miles...A good 22 seconds faster than last week....I used to run half marathons (13.1 miles) in the same time.....

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Not such a good time today, and I had to work hard even for that. In my favour though, it was warm and muggy, and I arrived home covered in sweat. Still nice to be out though....

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Can't be fun Foxy, running in these conditions, I have to push myself to do the two mile dog walk, spose you set off early though, still must take loads of willpower.

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Usually about 6:30 am Spitty, when it's supposed to be cool...
Over the years I've run in all kinds of conditions, but I must admit that it's nice to get home and chill in the hot weather, but I'll take it over the cold and rain anyday....

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You are killing it with the miles, OGF!

Nothing like a good dog to keep one fit and off the sofa, Spitfire! However, in my case, my dogs aren't pulling me off of the sofas, they are filling them. Two miles is a respectable distance!

The trails are open and my toe is better, so I've been testing things out the last few days. After the rare times that I have had to take a hiatus, my legs and lungs have pleasantly surprised me. The last few days have been no exception, though I am noticeably stiff. What's with this? It's back to the yoga mat, I suppose. We won't talk about my distance - yet.