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Running

Tuesday last week I did a 5 mile run with mile 3 at (for me anyway) a fair old lick.  I managed the mile in 7:03.  It also transpired that one whole lap of Victoria Park is almost exactly a mile, so I can repeat this session quite easily to try and improve my time.
Lunchtime run

Thursday, I decided to throw in some cross-training and cycled to and from work, just over 20 miles in total.

Home to Work    Work to Home

Friday, I decided to repeat my run from Tuesday to see if if I could get under 7 mins for the mile lap of Victoria Park.  Usually it takes a few minutes for my Garmin to pick up the satellites, but I was surprised for my watch to tell me that a connection had been made almost as soon as I walked out of the office.  I knew something wasn't quite right, when I arrived at Victoria Park which is usually just shy of 2 miles and my watch only showed 1.7miles?

I then started my fast mile and despite going at 'a fair old lick' again, my Garmin showed I was only doing an 11:30m/mile.  So I was either in the Matrix, or my Garmin was playing silly buggers.  As I had not been offered the choice of a blue or red pill that morning, I suspected the latter.  With the 1 mile lap complete and my watch only showing 0.6 miles covered, I don't know if I was quicker or not? 

As you will see from the link below, despite starting my run from Liverpool St, I apparently started my run from Leyton, ran over the Hackney marshes and crossed rivers and railway lines without the need of bridges! I managed a couple of 6 min miles, my fastest pace was under a 3 min mile and the temperature was 37 degrees!!  When I run, I don't see what you see, I just see ones and zeroes ;-)

The Matrix

 

Saturday morning, Mich (my wife) and I ran Bromley Parkrun.  I was accompanied by my coach (not Nick Anderson) but my son Max.  He is very demanding with his shouts of "Faster Daddy, Faster"  With the boggy conditions it was tough work pushing the running buggy but I managed to get round in 24:11 and Mich was only 9 seconds outside her PB!

Parkrun Stats

 

Buying

Wednesday night I popped into the new Sweatshop store in London to have a look a few pairs of running shoes to help me decide on my next purchase, I discovered that they have a running group that goes out 3 times a day, 5 days a week, so I think I will pop along one day in the near future and join them for a run.  I was considering buying the Adidas Boston, but I think they were a bit firm for me.  So I have now ordered a pair of Brooks Pureflow.  I will blog about them once I have received them and worn them a few times.

Disappointing

Twice this week I received the Thanks but No Thanks message.  First, I found out that I was unsuccessful in the ballot for the Cycle London100 and then I found out I was unsuccessful in the ballot for the Royal Parks Half Marathon.  Ho Hum!

Redesigning

Now I am sure the eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that I have revamped the design of my blog and added a few, what Google call 'Gadgets' You can now add a reaction to each blog (hint hint). And there is now even an option on the right hand side to translate the blog into a different language!  I now know that the 'The Jogging Hippo's Jog Blog' is 'Blog Jog El Jogging Hipopótamo' in Spanish and 'Die Jogging Hippo das Jog Blog' in German.  Very useful, I think you will agree. 

I have also now added my blogs from when I cycled LEJOG in Sept 2010, as unbeknown to me the domain name for that website has expired and now it is £165 to renew instead of the usual £5 per year.  Sneaky buggers!  Anyway something different for you to read if you are bored one evening/lunchtime.

Until the next time

TJH

P.S. (Apologies if you have not seen the film The Matrix, as the pill and the ones & zeroes references will mean nothing to you)