My best run

These days I tend to focus on distances when I'm running but there was a period a few years ago when I was more interested in my times. Every run had its waypoints and I would check my time at each one to see how I was doing. As you'd expect, my time would fluctuate by a few seconds, faster or slower, and I would either concentrate on maintaining my 'lead' or on gaining back the time I felt I'd lost as I headed for the next waypoint.

I remember one extraordinary run, out at Barbon, where I reached my first waypoint over thirty seconds ahead of when I expected to. I was so surprised and confused! I couldn't believe it. Incredibly, I finished that four and half mile run nearly three minutes ahead of my previous best time. The wonderful thing was that I was totally aware of how well I was running, that I was possibly having the run of my life, and was able to savour it.

But anyone who exercises regularly knows you get these fluctuations (although that one was particularly wild) and they're most irritating when they're inexplicably bad. 

Not that there was anything wrong with this morning's run, though. I went out from the Minx's place, up and over the M61 and then climbed up around behind Anglezarke reservoir, before coming back down into Chorley: about nine and a half miles. For reasons I can't explain it was simply enjoyable! Even the hillier parts felt quite comfortable and I arrived home thinking I should done a half-marathon after all. Still, perhaps better to have enjoyed it for what it was.

****
-11.1 kgs
Reading: Today I finally finished Phill Brown's 'Are We Still Rolling?', which I've been reading for nearly a month. From its précis, it looked great: the memoirs of a studio engineer who worked with some of the biggest names of the sixties, seventies, and eighties, including Talk Talk. In fact, the two chapters on Talk Talk - for 'Spirit of Eden' and 'Laughing Stock' - were the best ones not only because I love the band but because they provided what I wanted from the whole book, which was a collection of insights into the various recording processes used in the studio by different bands. It was entertaining enough, though, and also well written but it simply wasn't what I was hoping for, just more of a protracted diary.