ooops, now I've put my foot in it!

[vixiej]

After the torrential rain and high winds last night, I really wasn't expecting to have much of a run this morning, but by the time I wriggled into my running gear the sun was just starting to smile through. It was still blooming cold though! I Checked out the temperature and decided to warm up with my waterproof jacket on, as I thought it would be easier to remove it without disturbing my garmin or iPod. It was, although running with it flapping around my waist was annoying, I might leave it behind next time.

First, I warmed up, decided to do an extra 5 minutes because it was so cold but actually did 17 minutes total, as it would take me to a spot where I would not have the potential to get stuck at road or railway crossings. I set off to my new music. First song too slow, fast forward, second song too slow, fast forward. Oooops, I think my pace is quite a bit more than 150bpm after all - made a note to self to check which songs were suitable and then match a new playlist to that bpm.

1st mistake of the day was to run alongside the dual carriageway into Weybridge (should have remembered from Florida run that I don't like car fumes!). Still, in no time at all I'd thrown a left and was running along the back road towards the weir/River Thames. Once I passed the posh private infant school, dodging parents, I thought there would be no more pedestrians to interrupt my pace, but I was wrong. Two ladies who looked like they'd been running (or maybe power walking) came towards me, yacking nineteen to the dozen and clearly didn't consider that they could perhaps go single file rather than me having to side step into the road (traffic behind me, not ideal!). Ignorant Weybridge wives

Then to the weir, onto the towpath. The river has a red warning at present, it's very high and running very fast. I knew that it was high as the person who has been staying on my boat called last night to say he couldn't get onto it, as it had drifted to the extent of the rope and the water was up over the bank, making it a dangerous 6 foot leap (not fun in the dark, especially if you are alone). I usually don't see my boat until I'm almost level with it, but as I rounded the first corner it was clearly in view. Very pretty I ran on past, heading towards Walton. I don't know about you, but I always smile and say hello to other path users, and I drop my hand down to say hello to dogs if they come over. As usual, most of the 'real' runners ignored me, one or two smiled (thanks cute guy, whoever you are!) and the dog walkers thanked me for stroking their dogs on the way past. I'm sure most of the people I saw thought I was bonkers (ok, I admit it, I am, but life is too short to be boring or miserable!)

I didn't manage to avoid all the puddles, so my feet were getting pretty wet. I was almost at Walton bridge and there was a series of wide and long puddles, I decided that a little splash wouldn't hurt right near the end of my run. BIG mistake left foot disappeared to above the ankle, I'm sure someone had come along and dug a little hole in that one! So, the rest of the run was "soft plop, squelch, soft plop, squelch, soft plop, squelch" I really did put my foot in it today.

Great run, long walk back to the sailing club and then I got a lift home from there, as I needed to make a call and get ready for yoga. Oh, yoga. That's another story. I think I realised today that, while its ok to do the restorative 60 minute session of yin yoga after a run, it is definitely not ok to do a 90 minute hatha yoga session after a run, particularly if you've wolfed down a bowl of tepid porridge about 20 minutes beforehand. I do know that I'm not supposed to do that, I usually have a light snack 90 minutes before, but I was still running 90 minutes before! Today, those forward bends were a killer, I nearly puked

But all in all a good day. I got some chores done too and had a nice snooze on the sofa this afternoon, how decadent!

I hope everyone else has had a lovely day. Wishing you all a great weekend!

[shelleymcb Graduate]

lovely blog. I am almost running with you (in my head)

hope your trainer dries out soon

[vixiej Graduate in reply to shelleymcb]

thanks. That does NOT count as one of your 3 runs this week though

[shelleymcb Graduate in reply to vixiej]

im full of cold & cant breathe properly so it will have to do

[Deryn61 Graduate]

That sounds like a great run Well, not the bit about the dozy gits who think they can walk side by side and the bit where you had to breathe in fumes, but DEFINITELY the sploshing through puddles, I love puddles, I do! I am like a big kid when there are puddles, I work on the principle that once your feet are wet then that's that worry over with!

What I do with my jacket/fleece once I warm up is tie it round my waist but fold it over so it doesnt flap, and with the sleeves tucked in so they dont flap. I look like a sack of spuds tied in the middle (I have race pictures to prove this!) but at least the jacket doesnt distract me!

[vixiej Graduate in reply to Deryn61]

I don't mind puddles, I actually really enjoy them on my mountain bike, so I don't know why I haven't embraced them sooner whilst running, although it was a particularly deep puddle, lucky I didn't fall over!

I tied the jacket around my waist, but didn't roll it up properly, good tip, I will do that next time. The trouble with me is that I do get very, very hot, I swear once I get running I could run in shorts and spaghetti strap t-shirt and be more comfortable. The new running tops have been brilliant though, long sleeved so I don't get cold during the warm up, but good technology so I dont overheat too much during the run.

I'll look out for the pics of you, I'm sure it's not that bad

[Vivwestie Graduate]

Brilliant blog - made me laugh.

But this sums it all up "Life is too short to be boring or miserable!".

In a nutshell. Thank you VixieJ.

[DeliaItaly Graduate in reply to Vivwestie]

What a pretty photograph Viv! Complimenti, as we say in Italy xox delia

[Vivwestie Graduate in reply to DeliaItaly]

Thanks Delia - my best friend took it at O2 just before Robbie Williams came on - that's why I'm smiling!

[vixiej Graduate in reply to Vivwestie]

I'm going there tonight, wooohooooo! I was running to some of his songs yesterday, you have to run double time though.

[DeliaItaly Graduate in reply to Vivwestie]

He's just been on X Factor Italia, what a star!

[vixiej Graduate in reply to Vivwestie]

you are welcome, glad it made you laugh

[DeliaItaly Graduate]

Lovely blog VixieJ !

I wonder why we (well you and me at least!) need to run sleeveless? Yesterday morning I must have been the only hot jogger in the park -- I get warm after 5 minutes! I ran sleeveless on Wednesday and I got glares (of the "she's a madwoman" variety especially from the power walkers). OK so I cool down very fast afterwards and need the heater on in the car driving home. As for the smiling business, there was a very long thread about this a month or so ago! I smile and acknowledge everyone I cross. Not everyone responds. Their look out.

[vixiej Graduate in reply to DeliaItaly]

thanks I've pondered the 'hot' thing, perhaps I'm just a 'hot mama' Its more likely that I'm heading into menopause and my body temperature regulation is a bit shot as a result! I actually don't cool down that fast, I stay red in the face for ages.

When I returned to squash after many years break, they thought I was going to die, I was totally scarlet for about 20 minutes or so after I stopped. It just shows that I have good circulation and that the blood and nutrients are getting right to the surface of my skin, hopefully it will keep me looking younger, LOL

[sfb350 Graduate in reply to vixiej]

I'm the same with getting too hot - it's a really bad look when my hair is wringing wet but the people I run with still look quite well-groomed It takes me ages to cool down too, I hope this will improve the longer I keep at it....

[DeliaItaly Graduate in reply to vixiej]

I once had naturally auburn hair. That comes with green eyes, freckles and, in my case, high colouring (thank you Irish genes!) . Well, although I have now become a silver fox - how's that for a euphemism? -- the high skin colouring has remained, which means I am beetroot after about 20 minutes running and remain that way for ages afterwards!

[mo-mentum Graduate]

Great blog vixiej!

I share your view about saying hello to fellow beings when I run. I'm not sure what I sound like to them though, as I'm probably breathing heavily and shouting at them as I've got the head phones in!

I too get very hot when I run, but can never face the task of wrestling with my outer jacket to get it off. I have however discovered a very good top that helps with my 'climate control' - it's made by a company called Faulke - well work a look.

happy splashing!

[vixiej Graduate in reply to mo-mentum]

thanks I'll check out that make of top. I bought a couple of cheap tops from sportsdirect.com and I have to say I've been really impressed, I can just push up the sleeves so that I don't overheat too much (and unzip neck) and then afterwards, I can zip back up and pull sleeves down towards the end of my cool down walk. As it gets colder, I think that will be manageable.

By next summer I'll be fitter, so will hopefully deal with the heat better by then

[mo-mentum Graduate in reply to vixiej]

Whoops it's actually falke.com (dyslexia kicks in at all the wrong times!) if you're looking.

[vixiej Graduate in reply to mo-mentum]

ooooooohhhhhhhhhhh that looks like lovely quality products, thanks

[chusan51 Graduate]

I wish I got hot when I run. I've even taken to wearing gloves now and was wondering about investing in a hat as the old hair density isn't what it used to be. Mind you wearing my compression shorts, running tights and jogging bottoms over each other the other dark cold morning was a bit of a mistake, and resulted in a couple of the park regulars getting a bit of a dawn shock when they came across me slipping out of the jogging bottoms on the shaded bit of the path and trying to lash them over a tree branch to be collected on my return route. All that said, I may not feel hot at the time of running but it comes on when I stop. I shed about 2 litres of sweat in the first minute of cool down when I just seem to ooze liquid like an old rusty watering can - not my most attractive of moments.

[vixiej Graduate in reply to chusan51]

I can imagine the shock on the park regulars' faces I wouldn't dare leave any of my stuff on a bench or a bush in my local park, it'd be gone in minutes

[chusan51 Graduate in reply to vixiej]

If you saw the jogging bottoms I was wearing you would understand why nobody would steal them I should really bin them but had them 20+ years so they are almost vintage

[vixiej Graduate in reply to chusan51]

nostalgic value then