Day 21 No luck at Leonardo

Just like last Saturday I tired to gain to Leonardo Da Vinci show at the National Gallery.  We even stayed over in a cheap and nasty hotel in London to catch the first tube and line up at 6am.  It was looking really good the atmosphere was friendly and we were guaranteed tickets to the show.  The gallery opened up at 10am and the queue moved forward slowly.  At 12:30 we were told all day tickets had sold out!  Six and a half hours of waiting for nothing.  What has this to do with running, well it made me quite tired and meant I just did a minimum 4.5 km run when I got back in the evening.  Like crazy people we will try again tomorrow but this time we will drive to London.

Day 20 Pre-work morning run

A quick 30 minute run before work and before the rain.  Avoided the route I took last week to miss the school children.  6.5km + and quite a fast pace.  I won't be running again until tomorrow evening.  So it will almost feel like a day off.

Day 19 The Lunch time run

Today was the first time I have been for a decent run for a few days.  I have just done short runs recently because it was all I had time for.  This is part of the reason I failed Junathon due to the nature of my job I travel so much and work throughout the day sometimes it is difficult to go for a run.  Back in the office today I fit in a rice 6km lunch time run.  The constant running is taking its toll and I have to drive to Cambridge and back tomorrow and then off to London.  Will I manage to run on day 20?  Watch this blog.

Day 18 Post Rollins midnight run

Couldn't face running around the same hotel block in Birmingham (plus the bed was nice).  So didn't get to run during the day. This evening I wasn't returning home as I was seeing my all time hero Henry Rollins in Oxford.  I also met him after the show and he was really cool.  The video above is from a show in Cork last year but he told the same story last night.  This meant I arrived home at 11.50pm video, I hadn't seen my wife for three days but I threw on my running shoes and went for a quick 10 minute run around Wantage.

Day 17 Short Birmingham Run

I found it very hard to complete today's run and came the closest to dropping out of Janathon yet.  Spent the day working all over Birmingham and went for a run around 8pm.  My hotel is in the China town / market area and like Janathon last year when I stayed here there is just nowhere to run.  In the end I went for a 13 minute run around the hotel block a few times.  Will try and work out a better course for tomorrow morning.

Day 16 Frosty morning run

Today I had appointments all over the midlands and knew by the time I got to my hotel in Birmingham I would be too tired for a run so I went for an early morning run.  Frost was still everywhere from the night before and the sunrise was a beautiful one.  One thing I hadn't counted on was running against the tide of school children and if I go running at this time again I will pick a different course.  Just over 10km in total.  On On!

Day 15 Half way and long(ish) run

Despite the recent drop in temperature it is still a pleasure to run along the The Ridgeway.  It was a clear blue morning with frost on the ground where the sun had not yet reached.  I didn't run the same distance as last Sunday.  My shins and heels are feeling the ache and pain of running everyday.  Just like last year I am wondering how far I can take this Janathon thing.  Run everyday in the year!  That maybe a bit much but what I may do is continue running every day in February until I get fed up with it.  Still we are only half way through January so I should concentrate on that first.  Picture is of the White Horse which is on the Ridgeway.  A run out here from home is about a 20 mile round trip.  Maybe I will go out this far before Janathon is over.

Day 14 Cold snap and return of the leggings.

I knew today it would be difficult to find time to run today.  My wife and I were up early to visit London.  She went to Japanese cooking school and I tried to get two tickets for the Leonardo Da Vinci show. I failed so we will try again next week.  Apparently you have to be in the line for about 6.30am for day tickets.  Which is a bit hard when you live in Oxfordshire.  I spent the day looking in record shops and then we met up and re-stocked on food at the Japanese Centre.  It was 7pm by the time we got home and like last Saturday I went out for a quick 20 minute run to stay in the game in the evening.

Day 13 Lunch time run

Lunch time run.  8.5km.  Bought Anthrax ticket half way through run.  End of blog post.

Day 12 Seeing stars!

Another gym treadmill run, set to hill and one level up from last time.  Really went for it towards the end by running the last km in four minutes.  Before the running sessions I did my usual 1,000 m row then stretches and ab work.  Today during this pre-run activity I saw stars.   I know that means not enough oxygen and I am over doing it but it always makes me laugh as it is such a weird sensation which I only occasionally get.  It also makes me laugh as I always think of Tom and Jerry.  Unfortunately I couldn't find a picture of Tom seeing stars so this cartoon lion will  have to do.

Day 11 Hyde Park sunrise

A morning run in London.  Started from my hotel in Earl's Court, I ran down High St. Ken (past my old employer) and then into Hyde Park.  There was a beautiful sunrise, so nice even police officers stopped and took pictures of it on their mobiles.  The turning point was the Albert memorial and on the journey I spotted six squirrels The run was about 7.5km in total in 37 minutes.   I then had a day of working at Olympia, all standing up so pretty tired by the time I got home at 9pm.

Day 10 Lunch time run.

Today’s run was a 6km lunch time run.  I am probably picking up the pace a bit because of all the treadmill training.  The stats are 6.01km, 28mins 51 secs, pace 4.47 min/km and 402 calories.  The last one is nice as I won’t feel bad about the Thai meal I will have tonight and the one, or two beers with it.  Left calf muscle is still acting up from Sunday’s run but it is Janathon time so will just have to run through it.  looking forward to running around London tomorrow morning as I am staying there with work tonight.

Day 9 Another 5km in the gym

Back to the gym today for a 5km+ run but I did something different....wait for it......I put the treadmill on hill instead of manual. 

Day 8 The Long run

Today was my longest run since the Abingdon marathon in October.  The hardest part is to get up the hill to the Ridgeway which is an 87 mile long national trail with stunning views.  I didn't plan to run that far but it was such I nice day I continued when I got the top.  The sun came out and with the view looking so beautiful I stopped my ipod half way and enjoyed the silence of the nature, until I got to my turning point and I heard the model planes flying around which made me feel like Roger Thornhill in North by Northwest.

Day 7 A quickie to qualify

Spent the day in Cambridge with Mrs. Ed.  We were both desperate to spend our Christmas present vouchers but neither of us could find what we wanted.  We went to see The Artist which was a very moving, clever and touching silent film.  I am sure it will be towards the top of many polls at the end of 2012.

In the end we got home at 7pm and I went out for a quick run just to qualify for Janathon.  I ran just under 4km (3.99 km according to the Nike+ ipod).

Day 6 Cambridge run

Once again I failed to run in the morning as planed so I took my running gear with me and after my appointment in Cambridge I cheekily asked "Can I change in a spare classroom"? and then went for a 5k run on the outskirts of Cambridge city centre.   By chance I was listening to punk rock again on the ipod (Misfits) which I couldn't help but run fast to.  The end result was falling asleep on the sofa before 9pm.

Day 5 Freedom and The Dammed

Finally got to run outside today during lunch hour.  One of my favourite lunch times runs around Iffley lock in Oxford.  A nice 30 minutes even though I did get caught in the rain again.  For the last few weeks I have been listening to the first five Dammed albums.  While I do really like some of their songs I think they are a group to be admired rather than one of my favourites.  However, I do find the punk rock has the perfect beat for a mid-tempo race.

Tomorrow will have to be a morning running as I am driving over to Cambridge for work and back and I won't have time to run in the evening.

Day 4 Return of the Treadmill

It was optimistic to set my alarm for 5 am.  The previous day I was pumped up from running and thought anything was possible.  I re-set my alarm and went back to bed.  Today’s run was pretty similar to yesterday’s.  I went to the gym and ran 5k+ on the treadmill but a bit faster.  My legs are feeling the punishment of running four days straight, especially as the last two have been quite fast.  I hope the storms will disappear so I can get on with running outside again.

Day 3 The Treadmill

Run before work, too dark, after work too dark, lunch time not with today's storm.  So I went to my local gym and ran 5km on the treadmill.  Sort of defeats the purpose of running, which for me is to get outside.  However, it is great to set a speed and then keep to it for faster, shorter runs.  The plan for tomorrow is to get up at 5am and run before work.

Day 2 What a difference a day makes!

When ever I go back to my home town of Bognor I always like to run along the sea front (as I did in the rain yesterday).  For me running along the sea front at Bognor is for me one of the only pluses about the place.  Although cold and still very windy, it was a perfect running day with blue sky and clean fresh air.  Despite the nice running conditions yesterday's run was 3 minutes faster along exactly the same course!

PS The photo makes it look much nice than it really is.

Day 1 Janathon

Day 1 of Janathon was a run along Bognor sea front.  True a lot warmer than the sub zero temperature of last years Janathon's first day in Copenhagen but still an awful start.  The wind was behind me while running out so I knew it would be a struggle when heading back but then the rain started.  I couldn't have got anymore wet if I had of jumped in the sea.  According to the Nike+ ipod it was an 8.33 km run with the loss of 556 calories.  I may try the same run tomorrow as I like the sea air when running and will return to Oxfordshire tomorrow afternoon.  Photos to follow.