The Countdown Continues.....

As the day of reckoning draws ever closer I thought I'd make today my last run before the Coniston 10k - I figure a couple of swims and maybe a massage next week is the way to go!

So after Tuesdays 12.5k effort (my longest run) my knees were feeling the strain so Thursday I decide to hit the tarmac again and just keep my hand in with a gentle 5.5k - hardest run ever.

A few days off got me thinking - 'Could I actually run a half Marathon?' with the 3 days rest and a little bit of eagerness to venture into some of the local hills Sunday morning seemed an unlikely candidate for  me to try a half! What a glorious day to set off in to the wild green yonder, with the sun beating down at every turn some welcome shade was sought in forests and woodland I never knew existed. Out on to Caton Moors and behind the local windfarm then down past the old quarry (I had often wondered where the brickworks ropeway went - now I know!) Only a couple of hesitations in the Moors as to whether I was on track but you can't really get too lost all roads lead to somewhere. Out at the Fenwick Arms and dropping down to the river - here was the biggest mis-judgement made to date - always be on the right side of the fence. i got myself hemmed into a corner where jump or long slog back were the options - of course jump I hear you cry. I did! It was a good 10ft vertical into a silty, sludgy beck but I made it. With a good few kilometers left before I hit the magical 21.2k my knees were now really feeling it, mostly from the vicious descent past the quarry but I'm sure the landing from the jump hadn't helped. At 19.5k I felt the will fast leaving me and the knees were giving up quick, but on I trudged in ow walk, jog, ow, ow, ow, walk, jog, ow kind of way eventually making it home - so in answer to my earlier question - yes I can run trail/hill/fell half marathon! Another bonus is that between the calf guards and some kinesiology tape the shins were fine!