Observations of a cheese plant

I always love the way that a covering of snow on the ground outside reflects the day onto the ceilings inside the house and enhances the quality of the light. I would be a very happy guineapig for a dimmable ceiling full of LED lights, but in the meantime I enjoy our occasional snowy days [...]

Monday run-off

After I pointed out the extreme clemency of the season yesterday, the weather made a half-hearted effort at producing winter last night.

The sky was so clear that the stars shone like LED’s and there was already a frost on the deck when I went to bed.  Likewise this morning at 6am there was a [...]

Pre-storm calm

I had a strange ambivalence towards running this morning.  It wasn’t a case that I didn’t want to: more a case of not being bothered about it.

This is possibly something to do with the fact that the hard work is done and the next three weeks is about comprehensively sorting out my niggly injuries [...]

Another ‘other 3.25 miles’

In contrast to March 15th, the day after the last time I ran 22.95 miles, I decided to take it really easy earlier today.

I set the machine to 6mph and completed 3.25 miles in 32.17, my ankle only twinging lightly in the first half-mile.

Afterwards I marvelled at how relaxed my legs were, although [...]

Late post-run run

I had resigned myself to not running today, on account of a painful ankle, knackered legs and a touch of hayfever.

That is, until I spoke to Cliff this afternoon.

Despite running a 50-mile (FIFTY MILE!) race on Saturday in Paris with Pete and Daren, the lune was still seriously contemplating going to Circuit Training [...]

Fast Friday Five-miler

Earlier this morning I climbed aboard the magic carpet to do my weekly Friday-five-miler.

I started at 7mph and increased the speed by 0.2mph for each quarter mile until I reached 9mph.

Then I reduced the speed by the same amount until I reached 8mph, where I stuck it out until the end.

My heart rate [...]

Unremarkable ten

The downside of having a training program is having to stick to it, whether or not you feel like it.

This morning I did not feel like it.

However, I still jumped on the machine and set to with the specified task of running 10 miles.  After a brief warm-up, I varied the speed every [...]

The other 3.25 miles

As per the last few Mondays, I did a short run this morning to take the edge off yesterday’s long one.

What was instantly surprising was that, beyond a slight initial stiffness in the legs, I felt no other after-effects and happily increased the speed, varying from 6mph initially to between 7 and 8.5mph.  In [...]

Fiveday again

I’ve not much to say for myself this morning.  The thought of running outside briefly crossed my mind before I climbed aboard the machine… would that the Bok was here to force me out!  I varied the speed much like Wednesday and finished five miles in 39.24, average 7.6mph.

There was no drama and the only frisson [...]

Ten on the tenth – part three!

Yesterday was always going to be a bit of a rush, hence my delay in posting.

I had a really interesting meeting in London late morning, spent the afternoon reading HBR and networking in the Alumni lounge at London Business School and then participated as a Judge (a pseudo potential early-stage investor) in a Trade [...]