The weather has been grim for the last few days, damp, drizzle, rain, wind, huge puddles everywhere. I haven't run since Sunday, though I've had a couple of long walks. Today I had no excuse. Our friend Andrey and his running club invited me out with them this morning.
I was up just after 7, pitch dark, it doesn't get proper daylight until around 8-8.30. A little later the sky lit up in shades of red, a beautiful clear, sunny morning. It was around -1C so I wore a long sleeved thermal instead of my running top, plus a jumper, hat, scarf, gloves and normal leggings. I thought about putting on a windproof jacket but decided I'd just want to take it off after a km or so (once I started moving I wasn't cold so this was obviously the right move).
The meeting place is about 20 minutes walk but I was lazy and drove to save time. We were the first ones there. Mr OBK can't run at the moment following some dental work but he wanted a walk. It was pretty chilly standing around waiting but it wasn't for long. Andrey was next, then the rest of the runners. Andrey asked how far I'd like to go, the answer was 5 or 6 km, then we set off.
The trouble with running with men who are taller, fitter and faster than you is that whilst I was almost flat out my fellow runners were obviously not even breaking a sweat. Andrey and another younger guy very kindly ran with me at my pace. At one point the young one told me his heart rate was 120. Mine was 162! He wasn't even trying 😂. Told myself that he's a foot taller and 30 years younger at least and anyway, it wasn't a race (just as well!)
At 5km he joined the rest of the runners who were waiting for us, then Andrey and I ran back to the starting point, having covered 6.3 km in 49 minutes. He bought a cake and made tea and we waited for the other runners and my husband (walking, so obviously slower) to join us.
This is only the second time I've run this week but the conditions were perfect, the ground was dry (finally) and the forests are just wonderful. Well worth getting up early for 
PS the caption reads 'Saturday International Poutraining' (a pun on the Russian for training in the morning/Parkrun). I'm the short one 😂😂🤣
Woohooo! My knees are strong! (Or: Intervals!)
