Day 3: C is for Circuit, Chips & Competitiveness

The scale of the problem.

Circuit - I have a standard running circuit that is quite by chance exactly 4 miles long. That makes it good for multiple circuits (if a bit depressing when you have to run past your own house and you know you've got another 4 miles ending in a big hill before you can stop).  It goes down by the river which is nice - and a lot of people have said they like running by the river, but unless you actually live next to the river it is always uphill on the way home.  For the first time this year I did this circuit today. Yet again I tried to do a gentle jog. Yet again I totally failed and ended up with the fastest average pace so far despite taking lots of pictures. It did give me a good time to look for C words though - except my naughty brain just kept coming back to the 'C' word - especially running up that c***ing hill back home.

All Man

Chips (1) - Silicon Ones. I'm a gadget freak - if it hasn't got a chip in it I'm not interested.  I'm still looking for the battery compartment in our six month baby (see http://lumpybadger.blogspot.com) who I secretly call "Data" in homage to STNG.  I am now weighed down by gadgets and batteries when I run (and lard, obv).  My favourites are my iPhone 4 which doubles as ipod and emergency taxi-finding device, and on that I have an app called RunKeeper (which is free this month - go and get it!!) which lets you let your other half see where you are while you are running, and also lets you take beautiful pictures while you go:
Unfortunately I keep accidentally pressing "pause" on the app when I'm trying to fiddle with the ipod or take a photo, so luckily I also have a garmin GPS watch as a backup so I know the exact distance!


Chips (2) - mmmmmmmm.... chiiiiips.

Cycle Lanes - This cycle lane is on my running circuit. It makes me laugh every time. Why are cycle lanes always put there by dimwits?

Cycle lane. Into car park.

Competitiveness - I touched on this yesterday but I wanted to tell you a story that really captures how I feel about competition.  Many many years ago I was called upon to do a guest-coaching stint for the Oxford University Lightweight Rowing Crew.  These are seriously wiry guys and they row from a boathouse in Radley about 3 miles downriver from Oxford.  I turned up at 6am on a pitch-dark Monday morning in January to find them all cycling there (about 4 miles on the road) because their regular coaches had decided it wasn't manly enough to drive there in cars.  There was one guy who had been cycling all along, and when these "new" cyclists turned up he was already at the boathouse stretching and warming up.

"How did you get here?" They asked him.

He simply turned and looked at them. "I ran."

"Bloody hell.." they all gathered round "Did you run just because we all cycled?"

The runner just carried on warming up. "Yes."

"Jeeez." they were all competitive guys themselves, so they could understand this, "But what are you going to do if they make all of us run?"

He sighed, stood up from his stretching, looked his crew in the eye and with a deadly seriousness said:

"swim"

"Only" 3 mile swim from here to Radley

Chafing, Calories, Crazies & C***s - Just a few of the words I didn't have time or space to write about. I may have to do some catch-up blog posts just to get these extra words in. or do them in the comments. or something. or have a bath.  mmmm.. bath...

Janathon Stats:

Today:
Distance: 6.44km (4 miles)   Time: 35:03    Avg Pace: 5:27/km  (8:46/mile)

Overall:
Distance: 23.44km (14.56 miles)    Time: 2:11:51   Avg Pace: 5:38/km (9:03/mile)