Time: 3.50pm Weather: Ideal for running. Partially sunny and dry. 12°C dropping to 10°C
It's been a while since I've done a write-up of a long run.
It's also been a good while since I last did a Half Marathon distance (end of August last year).
Today also marked exactly a year from where I prematurely ended my Run Every Day for three months streak by tripping over a manhole cover during the warm up walk and taking big chunks out of my left knee. I was going to do a HM to round things off that day.
Anyway, today I found myself back in North Manchester and temporarily free of familial responsibility.
I left it a bit late in the day to get out, but such is faffage.
It wasn't quite tee shirt weather, but I wore a thin long sleeved top with a thin short sleeved trail running top on top. I wore trail shorts and mid-calf socks. One litre of fluids and many Tunnocks wafers, a thin raincoat and gloves, and many tissues in the backpack completed the ensemble.
Out the door and I did several dynamic squat stretches whilst waiting for a GPS fix and all the sensors to check in.
And off I set, up the hill, doing my usual HM route but starting with the customary five minute warm up walk. As I'd stopped to snap a photo the warm up came to an end a little earlier in the route than usual.
Then I started the run proper, making sure to keep my pace slower than usual. I had done a 10 mile run at the end of February but I hadn't done many medium distance runs (eg. 10km) since then.
I found an old sweet wrapper in the pocket of the backpack and deposited it in the bin next to a bus stop. There were lots of folks out walking in groups this afternoon.
Past the post office. Past the house at the top where a car ran into its wall on Friday. The long straight down to the motorway roundabout. There were sheep in the field to my left and a strong cross wind which made me glad I had the long sleeved top on.
One set of lights at the roundabout were out. Thankfully the traffic on an Easter Sunday afternoon was light and I had no waiting for a gap. Beyond and past the fire station where they had one of the engines out whilst they appeared to be overhauling another one inside the station's garage.
Past the closed "café of convenience". Down over the level crossing for the heritage railway where there seemed to have been recent crossing activity. Through the rubbish tip estate where there looked to have been some sort of party on one of the side streets earlier. Into the dip and up onto the clay path.
Said path looked as if it had been recently swept and levelled. I kept on that until the left turn onto the path between the fields. There were several family groups walking that and I was most grateful when they let me past. A bit further on the path was quite churned up by horse traffic.
Over a horse stile (a sort of low gate) and into the farmyard where things had changed considerably since I'd last passed that way. A load of gravel had been laid to stabilise the track and some of the outbuildings were different. A left turn and a short steep climb.
I paused to take some photos. The last time I'd been there they were laying out a field to be a solar plant and today it was all complete. Onwards on the dirt road, past a little wooded area on my right where a man was carrying a toddler. I waved. To the toddler, of course.
Next the back alley with a very uneven gravel/dirt track with lots of hollows with puddles in them, and out onto tarmac streets again. Two guys chatting on the pavement waiting for a lady to come out of the house. A man pressure washing his car. The road closure with a trench for the electricity board.
Up to the main road and then finding a suitable place to cross. Another slope up and over then down to cross another road before going along a path between railings. I pause to let a couple of cyclists vacate that path before joining it. At the end there was an upturned Tesco shopping trolley.
Under the railway line and up a slope to the canal. I paused on the bridge overlooking the canal for a sip and a bite, and a few photos. Then down a slope to join the towpath.
A little way along there were many Canada geese and a few ducks. One mallard (pictured) decided they didn't like the look of me.
I followed the towpath for many km, encountering many groups, the occasional cyclist, a couple who were doing running intervals, and a lone runner in high visibility yellow who rounded a corner at exactly the same time I did. There was no aroma from the vinegar factory today.
Then off the canal, another swig and nibble and onto the streets again. Under the railway again, past the brewery and into a large residential estate. I weaved around various streets there making for the main road, meeting it where it met another motorway.
A plod along that main road for about a km, turning off it back into the "garden village" to pass the local phone exchange (with an OpenReach van outside which had lost its front numberplate). Past a chippy (open) with its smell of well used cooking oil, a primary school and a church.
Down a hill and turning at the traffic lights. The traffic was so light today that I could easily cross from one side to the other. Just another 500m left. Another turn at the next lights, past a group of men who replied to my "Good afternoon" with "Good morning".
A final drag into a side street and then the watch beeped to say it was over. I walked most of the rest but after about 10 minutes I was getting cold, so did a little "5km pace" run for the last 200m.
I arrive back, wave to next door neighbours and family who are just going out, rummage for my house keys, stop the watch and get inside.
I decide to have a long soak in the bath after putting my kit in the washing machine. Herself had also commented that I stunk a bit.
Stats:
Duration: 2h48' total (2h26'51" running + 67" sprint)
Distance: 22.87km total (21.10km running + 200m sprint)
Splits:
6'33", 6'08", 6'15", 6'13", 6'32", 7'19", 6'47", 7'56", 6'25", 6'24"
6'58", 8'16", 6'39", 6'46", 7'27", 7'16", 7'05", 7'05", 7'15", 7'16",
7'31", 7'17"/km (last 100m), 5'29"/km (200m "sprint")
Average running pace: 6'58"/km
My legs are OK. The leg muscles feel a little sore and are tingling, but that's normal. At one point I could feel my left hamstring starting to tighten, I adjusted my gait, and it fixed the problem.
Frankly I'm amazed how well that went. Yes, I'm about 15 minutes slower than my time from previous years, but I'm not surprised given how little distance I've been putting in these last few months.
And the demon of last year's run injury was exorcised.
Another HM 
Sunday trail HM
What a beautiful morning for a run!
Donegal East ¾ Marathon and 1/2 Marathon.