Training Run 41 - 7 miles / 11.27 km (ish), 56'32''

Tonight we tried to run around Battersea Park as usual, but because the Formula E track was in the process of being dismantled, newbie Kieran and I ended up running around the outside of the park, because we couldn't get back in at any of the usual points as all the entrances were closed.  This meant that the route was slightly longer than normal, but we got around it ok nonetheless; the time we did it in was surprisingly fast.  My legs felt fine all the way around and it was nice to talk to somebody new to the club, so all in all it was very enjoyable.

Training Run 40 - 7 miles / 11.27 km, 59'36''

This was a usual Monday night run, along the South Bank and around Battersea Park.  The route was slightly different as the park was being prepared for the Formula E car race that would be taking place the following weekend, so there were concrete walls and metal fences along most of the road parts.  It was another warm evening, and the run itself was very pleasant.

Training Run 39 - 6.89 miles / 11.08 km, 59'06''

I ran today during the day by myself, as I was off work this week.  I had been feeling down, and found that this run really helped to lift my mood.

It's a route I've done a few times before, that takes in three parks: Finsbury Park, Clissold Park and Highbury Fields.  As I run around the inside of the parks I can only do it during the day, so it's not one I do very often.  Today it was warm but overcast, with dry pavements and paths underfoot.  Finsbury Park is quite hilly, while Clissold Park is flatter and Highbury Fields is somewhere between the two.  All three parks have different characters; Finsbury is mostly used for sport and is the largest, Clissold is popular with families and young children, and Highbury Fields allows barbecues and is the smallest.

I found that as I focused on my breathing and looking at the scenery around me that my worries gradually melted away.  By the time I headed for home, I was amazed to see that I had run for nearly an hour, as it hadn't felt like that long at all.  

LFR Handicap 5k - 3.11 miles / 5 km, 23'03''

This was a race organised by the Frontrunners, to mark the 20th anniversary of the founding of the club.  It was different to any other race I had run before, in that we had to give an estimated time of completion of the 5k in advance, and each runner was set off at a different time based on the time they had given, with the slowest times starting first and the fastest starting last.  The idea was that everyone would complete at roughly the same time.  I hadn't run a 5k race before, so I estimated that I would complete in 22'43''.

On the day, it was grey, damp and chilly.  The ground was damp but not wet and we all gathered in Hyde Park, ready to run.  I started in the lower half of the group and made up some time on a few people in front of me.  I think I started a bit fast though, as I found the later part of the race quite challenging, and a number of people passed me all the way through.  I felt exhausted by the time I turned the last bend and had to run the long straight to the finish, but I made it in 23'03'', twenty seconds outside my estimated time.  I wasn't unhappy with that as it was the first time I'd run a 5k race, and I will know to pace myself better next time.

Training Run 38 - 11.5 miles / 18.5 km (roughly), 2 hrs 15'52''

On a beautiful sunny Sunday morning, I caught the train to Tunbridge Wells with friends from the London Frontrunners.  Today's run would be very different from our usual city jaunts.  This was an 11.5 mile trail run, following public footpaths across country in a circular route that started and ended at Tunbridge Wells station.

This was my first such run and I really enjoyed it.  The pace was relaxed, with occasional stops to check the map, making sure that we were going the right way.  The terrain was softer than it usually is in the city, as we were running on gravel and sandy paths, or through woodland with bark and twigs underfoot.  While this did mean having to take more care, it was a more forgiving surface than the usual tarmac!  We also saw some beautiful scenery, running through some picturesque Kentish villages and lush countryside.  There were also some unusual landscapes; we passed some very large rocky outcrops that people were climbing, as well as running over a boardwalk section in an area of wet woodland.  We even passed through a railway tunnel, just as a steam train roared over above our heads, which was an amazing sight.

Afterwards, we had a slap-up pub lunch back in Tunbridge Wells, before sitting outside with a coffee and enjoying the sunshine.  All in all, an excellent way to spend a sunny summer day.

Training Run 37 - 7 miles / 11.27 km, 57'16''

I don't remember very much about this run, I have to say I ran in a bit of a daze.  I've been going through an anxious period and my thoughts have been very pre-occupied lately.  It was good to have the distraction of running this though, and I spoke to Tom (one of the Frontrunners) for part of the way round which was nice.