Chilly 4K with Elton 🎶

[Jools2020]

It’s cold in my house today! Oil delivery didn’t come and I’ve run out. So I figured I better run to warm up!

2 layers on top and windproof lightweight jacket, which stayed on. Running tights, neck buff and black sun visor completed the look! Hair sadly not looking so good courtesy of lockdown 🤨

It’s still a bit slippery on the paths so I tested out the road and it seemed OK. Planned a 30 minute run (about 4K for me) and decided to run with music today. Elton John suited my nostalgic mood and I was looking forward to hearing those old songs from one of his first albums.

I start nice and easy, singing along to ‘Your Song’, one of my favourites! I felt good to be out running; I like chilly runs 😊. Hardly any wind. This was definitely going to be a musical run, I didn’t zone out but sang along until I started working a bit harder and then I sang in a gasping kind of way 😬. I stepped it out for the 4th kilometre and carried on for about a minute until I’d got to 30 minutes for a Strava challenge. At the end of my run, Elton was singing ‘The King Must Die’ and it’s another of my old favourites! I had one of those lovely moments when you’re just happy to be out running.

Back home and I’m pleased to see the negative splits and a PB for 2 miles. My watch just loves me today, I have a fitness age of 20 (I’ve never seen that before!) which, of course, is ludicrous, but I have to post it for nowster 😉.

Coffee followed by porridge ☕️ 🥣 and a good start to the day 😊

[nowster Graduate10]

Fitness age of 20‽ The youth of today. 😉

Interesting that your VO₂Max (39) is a little less than mine (41­­–42). The fitness age must have some gender factor too.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

Yes, and actual age!

[Run46 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

I think actual age must be relevant as my VO2 max is 39 also, I'm 48, it doesn't tell me my fitness age (Garmin 235) but it's on the line between green/blue so nothing superior about me 😆

Fantastic run for you Jools, great start to the day 👏😊

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Run46]

Thank you 🙏 it’s only recently I’ve been elevated to superior status!

[Beatlesforever Graduate10]

Brilliant! What a fab start to the day, and the added bonus of your new fitness age being almost in your teens! 🎉🏃‍♀️ 😃

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Beatlesforever]

Thanks BF - yes, I know, I feel so young today 😃

[Grannyhugs Graduate10]

Great run for you, hope it has helped to heat you up while waiting for your oil delivery. Temp here around freezing but damp so not the most enjoyable of runs for me but after reading your post and your flabby age I checked my vo2max and it's gone up, my range is different fro. Yours but it says I'm top 10% for age so that'll do me. Wrap up warm and enjoy the rest of your day. Happy running 🤗

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Grannyhugs]

Thanks, it did help me warm up a bit! I have have electric heaters in two rooms and just going to have a hot shower, courtesy of the immersion heater. Top 10% is pretty darn good anyway and it’s what mine is for most of the time! 💪😊

[Peter44 Graduate10]

Sorry to hear about your cold house, hope the delivery comes soon, we used to have oil fired central heating here, now on gas. The run sounded good, and your only 20 today! 😳I'm not running again today, still very icy, also got a slight groin strain, not had a 3 day break, since i started c25k! ☹

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

We don’t have modern things like gas here! Hopefully it will come tomorrow. Hope the groin strain eases and you can run soon. Always best to rest an injury, we all know that but impatience sets in! I think I’ve had the odd 3 day break here and there.

[Peter44 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Hope you've got a heater or two, till the oil arrives 🥶 went for a walk today, which was hard, with the ice, will try a run tomorrow, see how it goes, feels like ages since last run! 🤣

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

It’s only been 3 days! 😂

Yes, I went into the outbuildings and found heaters. The log burner has only just gone out. Heater is warming up the bedroom. What more could I want? Oh yes, oil! Possibly Thursday. Then I’ll have to see if the boiler will restart - it’s in lockout mode. I know because I’ve found the manual and taken the front off the boiler to have a look 👀.

[Peter44 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Hope you get it sorted, any helpfull neighbours you can call on?

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

Yes, I have, but I’d rather have a go myself first. I refuse to be helpless and I have a logical brain. If all else fails I’m fortunate enough to have a number of people I can ask. People here have been so good to me. That’s village life for you! If we weren’t in lockdown, I would hardly be here at all.

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

My parents' boiler runs off a big propane tank. However, it needs electricity to run the control system and pump. On one particular Christmas Day the electricity went out at 5pm or so. We sat around playing cards by candlelight until the house cooled so much we decided to go to bed. As soon as we'd all got upstairs the electricity came back!

After that, they decided to get a dual fuel (wood/coal) stove with a back boiler, gravity fed, so that if the electricity went out for any length of time there would still be heat round the house. There's some complex mixer arrangement such that they can have both the gas boiler and the stove on at the same time if needed.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

That would be a great idea round here, we have power cuts every few days in the winter. Sadly, many are caused by swans flying into overhead cables. Many of the power cuts are just for a few seconds, but every time there is one, the clock on the oven flashes zero, the radio comes on and the external sensor light comes on and stays on. Often sky and broadband need rebooting. Today my phone lost all the Bluetooth settings, took ages to work out how to pair again with the various devices!

[Peter44 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

I've seen elton john live 4 times, twice at watford fc! 😊

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

Wow, lucky you!

[Hidden]

1 yr off being 19 Jools2020 🥳

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

😂😂🤣

[Week7 Graduate10]

Sounds like a great run. You are currently my "fitness twin" .Mine, however, is undeserved and is caused by my Garmin GPS throwing a wobbly the other day so I suspect that we will no longer be twins after my next run- I expect to gain at least 10 years !

Hope you're oil delivery comes soon!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Week7]

Haha,,you’ll have to let me know! I take these things with a pinch of salt.

I’m currently cosy in front of the log burner 😀

[Week7 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Sounds cosy.I take fitness age with a pinch of salt too but have to admit to feeling a bit pleased when it takes over 3 decades off me! Bit of a tough day workwise today so did not run this evening -keeps me young for one more day....

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Week7]

This was over 4 decades! I’m sure it will change on the next run, like you. Good luck with your next run 😊

[Week7 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Ssssh no-one will ever know!

[9weeks2Run Graduate10]

Oh bless I hope you get a delivery soon.

Lol I totally feel your pain regarding the lockdown hair!!!

Ohhhhhhhh look at those perfect negative splits, fantastic, wow and fitness age of 20!!! That must have made your day!! Well done youngster you are a ⭐️!!!

I listen to Elton John’s music as well! Did you like the film Rocketman?

Take care x

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to 9weeks2Run]

It did make my day!! I haven’t seen Rocketman, but I used to rock my older son to sleep to Elton’s songs. He has always loved his music, probably because of that!

[9weeks2Run Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Ah good for you!

Oh how sweet.

The film is good. Take care x

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Awesome, look at those splits and what a good choice of music

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thanks! Glad you approve 😀

[Birdlady64 Graduate10]

20? That's mental!Hope your oil turns up soon

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

😂 I’m coping without the oil, but have already begun to write a strong letter of complaint! Still don’t know when it’s coming.

[Fionamags Graduate10]

Great way to warm up! Excellent pace too. Better be careful not to get too much fitter or your VO2 max will have you in nappies! 😆

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Fionamags]

Thank you! I think I may have peaked 😂

[Speedy60 Graduate10]

👏👏👏Gotta cheer for someone who mentions their music!🥳

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Speedy60]

Haha, thank you! Actually, I did mention it quite a lot at the start, but have spent a lot of runs just ‘zoning out’. Seems I’ve started listening again.

[wobbles_when_runs]

Hope the oil turned up today!! X

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to wobbles_when_runs]

No! And they didn’t phone me, so not coming tomorrow either! I’m managing with the log burner and electric heaters. x

[wobbles_when_runs in reply to Jools2020]

Now that is pants!! Fingers crossed for Thursday then. Looks like you had a good run, hope you had a good day ☺️

[limu_mu Graduate10]

Fantastic VO₂Max score.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to limu_mu]

Haha, yes - thank you 😊

[Killerblue Graduate10]

Excellent and now I’m interested in finding out about these VO2 levels 👍🏃‍♀️

[Jools2020 Graduate10]

I’ll let you do your own research. I’m guessing that most sports watches calculate it for you, I have a Garmin. I take their readings with a pinch of salt, mainly because I’m 67!

[GailXrunning]

All good!

Laughing at the watches... although you can still take cred!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to GailXrunning]

😂😂🤣

[Reggit Graduate10]

I’m on the verge of retirement, got a fitness age of 65 and VO2 max of 34 - I’m 52, wondering if I can get my fitness age into 3 digits 😂

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Reggit]

All things are possible 🤣

[LottieMW Ambassador]

Fab run and awesome splits there!

Hope your oil comes soon!🤞🏼

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to LottieMW]

Thanks! Oil delivery scheduled for tomorrow 😊

[LottieMW Ambassador in reply to Jools2020]

Yay!

[Gememms Graduate10]

Good going - I can't run without a "neck buff" - funny, I had never heard of them 12 months ago!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Gememms]

I know! I love them. I often keep one on all day and I’d never heard of them 12 months ago, either 😊