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Tactically misplaced and VFF run

Looks like the temps are finally starting to creep up (mid-June, about time!). I've been only doing relaxed/easy runs recently, but they have all been stress and injury free and I've been enjoying them more. That's what its all about, isn't it?
I got my bike out a couple of times last week and I love being out on it, I'm not super fast and it's a hybrid bike, so no aero bars or anything. I've found a nice route that's about 27k long, no big hills (some small ones) and at the 20k mark there's a shop that sells Powerade, so I can refill my water bottle, which is empty by then. Only down side is that now that it's a bit warmer, there's a LOT more flies etc, so I may have to get a face mask if things get any worse, I'm sure dead insects on my face aren't that appealing!
I was in the gym on Friday morning - early - and one of the usual local guys told me of a new route I should try running. So I went home, walked my son to school and did just that. I didn't know how long the route was, but I did know it would be more than 12k and possibly 18k or so. I decided to bring my voice recorder to put down some more podcast audio and I stuffed it in the mesh pocket of my Camelbak. MISTAKE!
I took my pre-race drink, which tastes and smells as bad as it looks, but gives a sustained energy release, not a caffeine like spike. The run started off out my usual 10k route and into a neighbouring village and then turned right, off the main road. At this point the directions I was given said to take the next right turn, which I did. The road got pretty narrow, only wide enough for one car. Even at that I had to step off the road when a van came towards me. The houses here were lovely. I didn't take any pics, as I wouldn't want any random person taking pics of my house, ha ha! I was starting to wonder where the road was taking me, but kept going and checked my Garmin "back to start" feature. Looked like I was going in the right direction according to it's compass anyway. I was 9k into the run and didn't want to have to turn and end up doing 18k when I could be home sooner (I had to get home to pick up my son from school at lunch). I kept on going and eventually the road twisted and turned and came to a familiar T junction - I was back on the main road I had recently been running on! With just over 5k left I turned for home and kept talking into the mic to record more for the podcast. I had clipped the mic onto the top of my t-shirt and the Camelbak hose is a bit short, so it gets kinda close to the mic when it's stowed away on the shoulder strap. I was concerned about audio quality from the two items brushing off each other.
Anyway I got home and in time to shower and change and pick up "mini me" and bring him for lunch. I listened back to the audio yesterday (over an hour's worth) and the whole time there is a weird noise that is really annoying. No, not my voice, but the sound of the recorder bouncing in the pocket and rubbing off the mesh - totally ruined! That's a pity, as it's kinda funny. I will go back to holding the recorder in my SPI Belt and record some more.
Yesterday we didn't have a babysitter and my wife is on night shift this week, so I had to get my run in early and skip the track session. I decided to do a relaxed 5k local run but to wear my VFFs. I started out slow but soon felt comfortable and my body naturally picked up the pace without me telling it to. I wasn't going super fast, just at a comfortable pace. I got back home with a little over 5k and the longest I've ever done in the VFFs, sweet!! I'll try to gradually bring up the distance in them over the next few weeks. There's a 5k road race next week, but I'm not ready to race in them and it's a club race, so I'll use my "normal" runners for it.

Posted by Eoin at 11:45 AM Labels: distance running, getting lost, podcast, vff


