The last month I have been focusing on increasing the length of the long slow run and I am finding it tough. I don’t think its running the distance that the actual problem, its more about keeping motivated to keep going once I hit the 10 plus miles. By myself, I stop and start too much, or loose concentration and my speed drops off, or run out of water and have to take a detour to top up, or generally just bore myself with my own thoughts.

So the solution is to find interesting runs and someone to run with and maybe even dig my ipod out again I think.

Gary has been down this way for the last couple of weekends and we have tackled one of my favourite 12 mile routes, one of the Gade Valley marathon prep courses. A really pretty route out along country lanes with a couple of good hills. According to Strava I have run that route 14 times, dating back to 2015. The first weekend we ran it, despite the warmth of the day, I loved it. Although technically we didnt run togther, i dropped further and further behind until he looped back for me.

So Last weekend when we ran it again, i upted my speed and tried harder to keep up. The first 3 or 4 miles I pushed hard and ran faster than I have ever run on that route before, besting my best 2015 times but boy did I pay for it. The rest of the route was a struggled and I couldn’t have run another mile by the end. So the moral of the story ?– the name jane is on the tin durr – its supposed to be a long slow run. 

And so to my mini challenge this weekend. I work for a company that has its head office in San Diego, Southern California  and work brings me out here fairly regularly. To be fair, if you have to work away from home at times, then this is at least not a bad to be and it has some great running routes.

The challenge to myself was to run 13 miles early on Saturday morning, close to home before catching my afternoon flight to San Diego where I would run another 13 on Sunday morning. Why? Partly to make the most of an opportunity of a beautiful place to run, but more importantly to start getting used to running on tired legs. As everyone does I am sure, I struggle in the 2nd half of the marathon, and running long runs back to back (with jet lag) is a good way of getting used to what the 2nd half feels like, so that I panic less on the day.

The home 13 miles was fairly straight forward and I even looped back home with the intentions of taking Roxy out for an additional mile or so, which unfortunately she declined. (She does that some days now, just refuses to walk more than a few yards down the road.)

The away 13 miles were way more tricky. I set off at 7am but even by then it was hot and humid and the humidity continued to rise. The route was fantastic, a complete cycle path circle of mission bay, literally yards from the water front all the way around. At one stretch i had the ocean one one side and the bay on the other.

I encounted so many other runners, runners with dogs or prams, and skaters and cyclists.   Really beautiful! i am envious of the gorgeous  beach side houses and such a fantastic set up for running. My running iteslf wasnt great, I was running in sweat within a few mins, i huffed and puffed on tired legs and i stopped and started a lot . But finally job done, another 13 miles ticked off, and hopefully my legs just a little bit stronger.

Happy running every one.