Bring on the heat wave

Yesterday was hot - it spiked up to the high 60s, 70s. It isn't really that bad when you think about it, but it was the sudden jump over the previous day's temperature that made it seem uncomfortable. I ran to Ally Pally again but this time decided, on the out and back, to take the scenic route - the long winding path that snakes around to the top, instead of the shorter and more direct route. I was overdressed and felt it, especially on the long exposed strip of road at the top. At certain stages it became "Run 10, walk 10" - we're talking seconds here. Maybe it is time for shorts again, but I'm hesitant about showing off my matchsticks. Total distance was about 5.1 miles, in a very unflattering 44 minutes. That hill running better translate itself to faster times on the flats, darn it.

I'd like to run that route faster but I suppose I need to do it a few more times in order to pace myself well. The route on the out is slightly more inclined than on the way back, but one thing I am reluctant to do is to push a little more on the out for fear of "tanking" on the hilly parts on the way back. I've always been more of a cautious runner anyway, and I suppose the same can be said of other aspects of my life, so maybe it's something to address in the head first.

In the afternoon I ran another 3.25 miles. I suppose you could say those were GROW miles, run for the sake of ticking the box and getting them out of the way, but at least I head into the weekend knowing I only have 1.75 miles to plod to achieve the target I set the previous Friday. Totting up the miles, I have run 18.25 in 7 days, which is more than the weekly mileage my knees and I agreed on (13.1), but they didn't seem to complain this time, so neither will I. Those phonebook calf-raises and hamstring curls must really be working. Yellow Pages are good for something after all.

I'm a little behind in the abs, stretching and weights department, but I can do those today in between stripping the paint off the windows and repainting them. Yesterday we got someone in to replace a rotten window sill (somehow cheaper to do that than to buy a whole length of hardwood for a 2-feet sill and do it ourselves - also better workmanship, of course) so I'm going to get high on the smell of Dulux for the next couple of days while the dry weather persists. Our kitchen window overlooks the road from a distance and sometimes people look in as they're walking by. Maybe today I'll give them a double-biceps pose or two if they're nosy - that'll teach 'em.

Happy running and have a good weekend everyone!