From the sublime to the ridiculous

(Or 'how I went from running bliss to muscle soreness in 15 hours')

Despite my persistent demotivation over the last few weeks, I'm still managing to drag my new shoes out for training runs. The dark evenings remain a challenge, so I'm directing my efforts into running in the mornings before work.

Gradually my runs have been getting faster - admittedly in small degrees - but it's safe to say I'm slowly getting fitter. My Endomondo app on the iphone is proving really useful for measuring my progress, and mapping my routes, and I've become very comfortable with being shouted at several times every run by an American lady. Yesterday morning though, it all seemed to start to come together properly

The mornings are definitely getting lighter, which a huge plus for my darkness-demotived self. I also remembered to take on board some PowerBar ride shots before I left the house, as opposed to just heading out on a glass of water. So I don't whether the psychological boost of sunshine was key, or whether it was simple sugar rush that helped me produce my PB for 2011.

I managed to knock 62 seconds off my best mile for this year so far and reproduce it over a second mile too. The moment my US friend shouted out my mile, I even did a little fist pump to myself. I was elated - I'm now remembering what it is like to get fitter and progress, rather than just thud round like a fat plodder.

I'm obviously still weeks away from the NYC half and will no doubt experience some running lows over the rest of the training period but nevertheless I'm now starting to feel positive about my abilities again. I've got my running mojo back.

Unfortunately, I had to spoil my running high by completely overdoing things for the rest of they day. As if running 4.5 miles before breakfast was not enough for my grudgingly unfit body, I then decided that the best way to move around London in between 3 separate meetings and a night out at a music gig was on foot. First I walked from Victoria to Westminster (not so far), then from Westminster to Trafalgar Square (little bit further but not too far) then from Trafalgar Square to Oxford Circus (further than I thought).
With a seated break for dinner, I then proceeded to stand for 2 and half hours at the music gig, with a throbbing infected toe and a gradually increasing hip ache. My aches and pains weren't helped by the world's most preposterous support act, a man in a suit with a stuffed cat and a tiny electronic organ singing children's songs.

On leaving the gig, we bumped into the entire contents of the Arsenal football stadium trying to get onto the Tube, so had to walk yet another mile and a half to another tube station to be able to board a train.
I'm not sure my legs have felt that tired since I ran the New York marathon!

As a result, my paronychia-ed toe now looks shrivelled and worn, with a yellow and black colour scheme. It's almost like a part of my body has died prematurely - I can only hope it won't shrivel up and drop off entirely, because I'm pretty sure you need both big toes to run any race distance. My entire lower half aches gently from marching round London in work shoes and I have only myself to blame

So I'm inserting a rest day into the plan today and intend to head back out and test my new speed status tomorrow morning instead. Here's hoping...

LON