Sometimes a run is not what you expect it will be and today was one of those days. After two mid-week runs that were a breeze I was looking forward to another easy session today, especially given that I'd had a couple of days rest and was planning to run well within myself. So much for expectations. I felt sluggish from the moment I set off as if I had no energy. It was as if the sub-conscious had taken the day off and the conscious mind had to issue all the instructions to each foot in turn for every step I took. And because I was mentally prepared for an easier run it took me a while to switch on to the fact that I was going to have to work hard to get the job done. It wasn't as if it was a big jump in distance - just 2.5 miles - and it didn't help that the second half was into a fairly strong breeze. But get it done I did and it's another few miles in my legs which is what I need at the moment.

As some of you who've read my blog for a while may know, my wife and I look after her elderly mother (97 in August) which is pretty much a full-time job for my wife and we don't often manage to get out in the evening but last night was an exception. We went to the annual village "StarGazers" event where various members of the village get up and perform routines. It's a bit like a cross between the Good Old Days and Britain's Got Talent and my wife acts as the compere for the evening. For the first half of the show, she wore a long flowing Shirley Bassey like outfit before switching to a much shorter, above knee length flapper like dress for the second half. At the end of the show, some old guy (who was well into his 80s) came up to her and said "It's a shame the show wasn't in three parts; I was looking forward to seeing what you'd be wearing for the final bit!".

This week, I'll be aiming to up the mileage again by another mile with runs of 2, 2.5, and 3 miles. Slowly, slowly catchy monkey, as they say.

Enjoy your running!