Parklife!

Short update this week.

A 17 mile long run this Sunday so I decided to go back to Richmond Park. I followed the trails all the way around the outside of the park and took a load of photos. Sometimes it's hard to remember I'm actually in London!

River Thames by Richmond

Cows in a field. In London!

Start of the trail in Richmond Park

Beautiful morning

At the bottom of a steep hill

The greater spotted MAMILs gathering before setting off

Next week I'm going on holiday so I am starting to juggle my running around. I'll try to get as many lengthy runs in before we fly off. Experience has taught me that it's difficult to keep to a running schedule on holiday so whilst I'll be aiming to keep on track I am prepared to reduce the distances I'll be running since it may not be feasible to put in double digit distances. As long as I keep my fitness up then it should be ok, We're going to Malta and Google streetview isn't available over there so I'll have to see what the conditions are like when I get there.

I hope to take a few photos while running so I'll post when I'm over there.

Hyde and seek and back pain

I woke up last Wednesday with a twinge in my right shoulder. Nothing to worry about I thought. As is often the case in these scenarios I was completely wrong.

By the time I finished a four mile recovery run my shoulder was in more pain than just a twinge. Over the next few hours it became a full blown nightmare!

I normally cycle to work but decided to work from home for the next day or two because that's how long I thought it would take to clear up. I pushed my Thursday run to Friday and waited for it to improve.

It did not. To be honest it was probably worse on Thursday than Wednesday. I medicated with ibuprofen and paracetamol. I wore a heat patch and went to bed with a water bottle under my shoulder. Nothing helped. I had to cancel my Thursday pushed to Friday run and managed to get into work via public transport rather than cycling.

By Saturday morning I felt ok to run again since it appeared that moving was less painful than lying down trying to get better.

On Sunday I was due to run 16 miles. I thought I'd risk it. I headed down the Uxbridge Road towards central London. My shoulder pain went to the back of my mind and I enjoyed being out early on a beautiful Sunday morning.

It surprises me how many people are out at 6am on a Sunday morning in London. It tends to be a mixture of people with suitcases arriving or leaving from hotels, shop owners opening up, runners such as myself and people with cans of beer in their hand. I'm not sure if the beer drinkers are early starters or late finishers. Either way, it's not something I'd like to be doing so early in the morning, or even late in the morning!

I eventually found myself in Hyde Park running along the Serpentine. It was so peaceful I stopped to take a panoramic photo.

The Serpentine

I ran along the south path of Hyde Park and ended up by the Royal Albert Hall and Albert Memorial. Another photo opportunity!

The Royal Albert Hall

Albert Memorial

Back along the Hammersmith Road, through Chiswick and up towards home in Ealing. 16 miles. Done!

As I write this on Tuesday, 6 days after my first onset of pain, it is starting to subside. I'm hopeful that it will be gone by tomorrow or the day after at the latest.

It's meant that I've missed one 11 mile run last week but at the end of the day the marathon is far enough away for it to not make much difference.

This week will be a 17 mile run and I might head back into Richmond Park but taking a different route from last time. I might change my mind though! Watch this space.