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Thursday 23 December 2010

Mersea Island


me coming up to the line, originally uploaded by ultraBobban.

I'm off to the folks this chilly Thursday for the Xmas break. I thought I might dwell on the fact that this will be the first time in 5 years that I will not be able to run "Round the Island" owing to the broken leg. I secretly reminisce of each summer when the Round the Island half comes round and whether I can PB the course again one day. Last year I was slightly out of sorts as I was concentrating on LSRs and had lost some VO2 max. Mum and Dad are always somewhere on the route to pop up for encouragement. This year they were on the line which was great. I pulled up with a sore Soleus at mile 11 across the sand and slowed for that mile. The pain wore off as I plodded a 9 min mile opposite Bradwell-on-Sea, the ominous looking grey concrete building signalling just 2 miles to go. Following this mild hiatus, I powered to the line and completed the round in 1.31.30, which was no where near my 1.30.14 PB, but pleasing as it was a journey, not a race. Perhaps I will have a gentle run on this fair track in 2011, as a recovery, with a 2012 PB attempt at a sub 1.30 half.

This Xmas, I will not have my usual round the Island training run on Xmas eve and again on Xmas morning. Something I think I am going to really miss. The first mile to the sea is glorious, with views over Brightlingsea and Point Clear. Reality bites like the cold headwind between coopers and West. Finally, past the fisheries and the backdraft home! Wow

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