Nice Sun good run

This last week has been incredibly cold. Each frosty day we have heard forecasts of snow coming. I hoped it wouldn't come, to the city at least, as a covering would create issues regarding my planned running.
I awoke early on Saturday and was mighty relieved to see everything was the same colour as normal, not white.

Before training I walked Scamp. I had noted a glorious sky full of reds and orange so took the camera along. As we waited on the higher ground in the park for the sun to rise I struggled to stay warm. Mere seconds without a gloved hand and fingers were numb and useless - hardly the best conditions for operating a camera but I was pleased to have persevered when rising from behind the Pennines, we caught glimpse of the very first tiny arc of that which keeps us alive.....

Proof I was out and about before sunrise 

Back home I wondered what to wear for my run. It must have been at least 5 degC below freezing and there was a stiff breeze too. I opted for one compression top and a gilet, figuring when I got too hot I could zip the gilet down. I also wore gloves and a hat - not normally needed on faster paced runs, but I'm pleased I did as I was never too hot.  I hadn't wore tights as they always rub uncomfortably and need pulled up often, so my skinny little legs turned three shades of pink before finally going red. I noted several people looking at me like I was simple being out in shorts in this weather, but I didn't feel cold in the least as my muscles were working hard throughout the run.

Because  next weeks 21 mile Buttermere event will be my longest run, and also it being a race, I was happy to drop the mileage today from 14 of late to just 12. I also promised myself o stick to 6:30 pace. I did beat the pace target but only by 3 sec/mile. It can be hard to gauge how much to back off when the wind is on your back and 6:10 feels easy.

Earlier in the week I had remained feeling tired so by Thursday was tempted to bin off the training altogether. I  gave myself a talking to and headed out to meet Plucky en route rather than run with him from his house. This meant I could choose my pace until we met and, more importantly, I could choose when to say bye bye and jog home. Just as well I did because John Hoare was along for the ride. John is a very good triathlete. He beat me (just) at the Langdale 10k before Christmas so he MUST be good!
Their time for the run was 2 mins quicker than I had done with Plucky one week earlier and Plucky was dropped about a mile after I'd left them. Too fast really. During the 5 miles I ran with them on Thursday I was under pressure from Johns lead pace, hanging off by a couple of metres at times. By my reckoning the Thursday run is probably more effort than my 12 miler today which means we are almost certainly well inside 6:30 pace. And for 75 minutes, this makes it a very tough midweek workday training session.
(Great Mell fell is quite small, but walking up it at dinner time to take photos of a snow capped Blencathra probably didn't help me much either)

Me and Scamp - busy at work

Friday was my only rest day, though tomorrow (Sunday) I will be running for pure enjoyment. Mind you, if the most pleasure I can gain from a run is by hammering myself to drop Plucky then my day may not be as easy as I'm imagining it to be.

Another shot - ten seconds later - Who would have thought the sun could move so quick eh?