Been feeling below par these last two weeks. Having started running more than once a week now that ankles feel ok, I've been beset by some sort of virus. Wheezy chest, aching chest muscles from sneezing and coughing, and aches and pains seemingly making some kind of tour of my body.
Yesterday was feeling fatigued at work, and chest was feeling tight and wheezy again so decided to book a day off for today.
Anyway, felt quite good this morning, so decided to go for a run before the sun got too warm. Mr Garmin was unusually slow connecting to his satalite friends this morning, and I was already down by the river when he finally connected. So, I thought, this run can be different to my recent 5K runs, I'll continue along to my old hilly section that I used for 10k before my ankles started complaining. When I got to the bollards just before the car park, where I usually turn round on 5Km run, I was still feeling quite fresh, and ankles were feeling OK. So, I carried on, down the hill, past the church and past the nice big old houses that look south over the river. When my path turned up hill into the village, still feeling fine, so decided to carry on. Up into the village past the village square, up to the right turn and up past the little restaurant. Then on and out of the village, and past some farm buldings on my right. The road flattens out then and eventually veers right and down, but before it turns down hill, I make a U turn, at an electricity cable marker, and head back the way I came. By now I've recovered from the climb up through the village, and am looking forward to heading back down hill again.
I'm hitting my landmarks with reference to Lauras comments at roughly the same places I was before ankles got injured back at the end of March. But, as I said, Mr Garmin connected late so I know that I'm roughly 3 minutes behind those times at this point.
My route down through the village loops round a slightly different route to my way up, and I rejoin my outward path at the bottom of the hill at the village square.
Now I am back along the bank of the river, heading back up hill, past the nice houses with beautiful roses climbing up their sandstone walls, they are all in flower, reds, pinks oranges. It's really nice to be able to run comfortably enough to be able to appreciate your surroundings, rather than just concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other and staring at the road in front of you 
Past the church again and up a steeper section which takes me back up to the car parking area, where I'd contemplated whether to turn back at the bollards on my outward run. There's a nice raised bed with sandstone wall sides here, it has grape vines planted in it, trained along wires
Fairly flat from now on, along the side of the river, the path is compacted mud and grit here, which I find easier on the feet and legs than tarmac. My legs are starting to feel very tired now, and my ankles are feeling tired too, but not the feeling they had when they were injured, so I think they are OK. Just a bit tired. Hardly surprising really. From running every other day, 10km during the week and 14km at weekends, since end of march I've only been running once a week, 5km. My legs are not used to it any more. But apart from tired legs, I feel ok.
As legs are getting heavier, I'm thinking about ending my run when I get to where I set off at the bottom of the road from my village down to the river. That will be a nice acheivement, must be 6km or so
Anyway, by the time I get to the road leading up to my village, my legs are feeling ok again, and breathing feels good too, infact I'm feeling better than I've felt for a week ot two. So I decide to continue for a bit, just see how it goes.
I continue along the side of the river, trees shading me nicely on both sides, still feeling good. At this point I'm thinking, I could actually continue along towards Blois until the canoe centre, where I turn around for my 14km run, and If I then continue back home from there then that will be about 16km, that will be a new PB ! But no.. I have a reality check. I've been running 5Km since the injury, if I turn around at the road for the next village then it will still be 11km or so, and that will be good progress since my injury. And anyway, I'n not in top condition at the moment with this virus.
So, that's what I decide to do. I run as far as the next raod with he little parking area and park benches, and I make a gentle U turn back towards home. When I reach the bollards just before the road up back into my village, I gently come to a halt and stop Mr Garmin. There's a rather convenient sigh post here, saying walkers and cycles only. I use it to help me do my stretches. Then on the other side of the path there is some stone steps, I sit on these to do some more stretches. Ready for my warm down walk back home. 11km, I like that, I'm really on the road back to fitness I cook myself fried egg on toast as a celebratory treat
It's still only 9h45, so I decide to cut the Laural hedge, and the privet hedge that have put on growth during the spring. By the time that is done, and tidied away again it's 13h00 so I decide to make a cup of tea and relax in front of the computer. So here I am, writing this to let you know that I'm back on the road to fitness, enjoying my running as much as ever, and wishing you all very happy running and good health.
Your running friend
Zev
Note to self
