Call me Maria

I have to clarify that the last line in the previous post was typed tongue-in-cheek. But while you'll need a brain bigger than mine to create an eco-friendly treadmill, it is possible to make a bike roller using two old rolling pins, some nails, and an unused plank. Depending on usage, they last about six months to a year.

Thanks to the wonders of flexi-time, I managed to get in a short run on Friday morning before work. It was only just over twenty minutes, made up mainly of running intervals of 1km in around 4:30. I particularly like intervals of that length - anything shorter than an 800 doesn't seem to do much for me, and I think I need to work more on speed/endurance than just speed. I am satisfied with my speed in shorter distances but would like to make it last. I hope to do the intervals of 1km again in around 4:20 or 4:15, which I think is possible considering I ran those at about 80% effort. The best thing about those intervals was that the route was all flat - thank goodness!

This morning I ran the hilly route to the palace and back. It's 4.5km up and down three hilly parts to get there and the same on the way back. The first hill starts immediately as I turn right from the front door and I tend to keep at 8mins/mile for just over the first mile and a half, which takes me past the first two hills and to the park entrance.



There is usually a farmer's market on Sundays there and this morning when I got there they were setting up as usual. They sell homemade produce and organic stuff - worth a look if you like that kind of thing.

Usually it takes about 13 minutes to get to that point but today I ran it in about 12:10. I was briefly tempted to think I might be in for a fast run today but I had my reservations. It is the next 0.75 miles of continuous uphill climb that I consider to be one of two make-or-break sections of the run. It is a long winding road with no respite. When you finally get to the top of the hill you can get good views of London. This is the Canary Wharf building 8 crow-miles away.



The BBC makes a programme called "The Apprentice" and Canary Wharf is where Alan Sugar (the Donald Trump equivalent) has his office. Canary Wharf contains many offices and is one of the pinnacles of East London.

You can also see the Swiss Re Tower.



It is known more by its other unofficial name, the Erotic Gherkin.

It takes about 18 minutes from the start to get to the top of the third hill and from there it is all downhill. I reached the halfway point in 20:10. Which is nice, except that - to state the obvious - the two minutes of downhill running takes about five on the way back to get to the same point - and it is less than half a mile. I had to alternate seconds of walking and running. 10 seconds run, 5 seconds walk. The feeling of finally reaching the top again was priceless - that is the second make-or-break section and I have previously lost a lot of time there.

From then on it was a matter of keeping my feet moving while conserving energy to tackle the last hill leading back home. I had to do a bit more run/walking up that last one but got there eventually. A hilly 9km in 42:15, or 5.6 miles at 7:33 per mile. I jogged up and down another mini-hill to finish up with 10k in 47:00.

I'll go practice "Climb Every Mountain, Ford Every Stream" in my soprano voice now.