It was a working day for me so I didn't get day 2 started until just after 5 pm. Given the dark and bitterly cold conditions, I was puzzled as to where I could run safely. Donna then pointed out that it would be a good idea to drive to Blyth beach and run down the coast to Cullercoats and back. It's a half marathon route that I've done quite a few times over the years. It was all path and well lit from start to finish. Perfect.
I had considered making this a treadmill run but I'll save that for another day when the conditions well and truly warrant it.
I started the run from Blyth beach with pretty sore legs. On top of that, the cough that has plagued me for the last 3 weeks came back with a vengance in bitterly cold conditions. Despite that, I felt pretty good energy wise. A portion of porridge in the afternoon should be enough to get me round another half marathon.
The tactics for this run were to start slow. I wanted to run well within my comfort zone with a view to not dropping off later in the run. The drop off in pace would mean that I would find it difficult to keep myself warm. Spoiler alert. It was a tactic that worked pretty well.
There was hardly a soul about for the first 5 miles as I made my way through Seaton Sluice, Hartley, Old Hartley and Whitley Bay. Apart from a couple of dog walkers, Spanish City was deserted. It's the quietist I've ever seen this place. People obviously had more sense than to be out in the freezing cold.
As well as the street lights, the moon was providing a clear view of the promenade. I hit the half way point at Cullercoats Bay feeling really good and ready to push on for a quicker second half.
Once I turned back northwards I suddenly realised one of the reasons why I felt so comfortable. I'd had a tail wind! The icy blast in my face meant that I pulled the buff over my cheeks, nose and mouth.
By the time I got back to Hartley, I felt pretty hungry. A quick trip to the Co-op for a Snickers bar and a bottle of Lucozade helped with that. Despite losing a few minutes there, I felt that beating yesterday's time was still a possibility. Sadly that quick stop was to cost me. Mile 11 was a minute slower as a result. I gained some momentum on mile 12. By this point my hands were painfully cold.
Still believing that I could beat yesterday's time, mile 13 was the quickest of the lot. I ran past my parked car and turned back again to ensure that I got the full 13.1 miles done. The finishing time of 03:22:27 was just over a minute slower than yesterday. Despite that, I didn't fell disappointed at all.
I feel that I'm slowly learning to run again after the tough summer in the USA. There's obviously a long way to go in terms of fitness and physicality. My real issue is a psychological one. I feel this has been the case for a few years now. Where talent and fitness has been lacking, I've always relied on what I call an "edge". That edge has been fuelled by anger and grief over the years. Thanks to many years of running and fundraising, those things are just a dull and distant feeling now. As I spoke about in the USA last year, I'm in a really good place having made my peace with grief and loss.
My edge has also been blunted by the impact of the mental and physical suffering caused by my long running campaigns. It's a topic I've written about a few times on this blog. It's certainly something I don't understand fully. It would take an expert to unpick and make sense of it all. I should say that I use the word "suffering" sparingly and without an obvious alternative word. It's hardly suffering in the true sense of the word. But I hope you get my point.
I'm going to need the edge back if I'm to succeed with this crazy 365 scheme. I think it will only come through miles, more miles and some eventual quality. It's very much like being back in 1993 when I first started to run. I was very slow at first but became a half decent runner eventually with an absolute edge. So back in January 1993 is where my mind is at and the once familiar feeling of what I need to do to improve and get quicker is back again.
That's 2 down and 363 to go!
Thanks again to everyone who has made a donation to St. Benedict's Hospice so far. If you'd like to do so then please visit
https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun365.
