A Happy 2010 So Far

We did not have a White Christmas, but when we looked out of the door just before midnight on New Year’s Eve it was snowing heavily and by the next morning Nana’s garden had been transformed into a winter wonderland. As befits a bunch of kids who have hardly seen snow before, we had a very excited family on our hands.



I did not let a bit of snow and ice stop me from doing my runs. Forgetting my tights in Kerry was not a smart move and I had to make do with shorts, but that turned out not to be a problem. In normal circumstances I would not have ventured out in shorts in sub-zero temperatures, but the alternative was to stay at home all day, and that did not appeal.

The slippery roads were more of an issue, but in actual fact I had a blast. While the main roads were treacherous and icy, the paths in the parks were covered in fresh maiden snow and I had great fun leaving my own tracks. I did slip once, on the way from Clonkeen Park to Cabinteely Park but managed to catch myself in time. The cars I saw driving on the N11, on the other hand, had a much harder time and were sliding all over the place. I can’t believe that the N11, one of the major routes into Dublin, was still entirely untreated by 11 o’clock. They really must have spent all our taxes on the bankers’ lost gambles, because they can’t provide even the most basic services.

Anyway, since I had so much fun I stayed out for much longer than planned. 10 miles turned to 12 and then to 14 by the time I was back. Since I thought that I should add a second longish run into my weekly repertoire, that suited me well.

Today was a bit of a different story. I headed the other way into Deer Park, but found the conditions a lot worse. The fresh snow had by now been compacted into a much more slippery surface and you had to watch your step. Deer Park is divided into two parts, one with plenty of trees and the other one out in the open, and the tree area was a lot icier so I cut my loops in half for safety reasons. I didn’t feel quite as good as yesterday so I took it a bit easier, but added 6 pickups of about 90 seconds each, dropping to pace to about 6:15 or so. That felt like plenty.

My right heel is giving me trouble at the moment. It feels like the shoes are digging into the back of my achilles, and it’s starting to become rather uncomfortable. I always rotate two different pairs of shoes and the Asics Stratus are feeling fine, but the Nike Lunar Trainers are not. I just remembered that others have complained about the lunars digging into the achilles as well, but why that should happen after 600 miles on that pair (and the previous pair didn’t cause any problems) I’m not quite sure. I guess it’s time to switch. I already have a new pair waiting in the cupboard, but that’s in Kerry.

Getting to Kerry might be a bit of a problem. The road conditions are bad and driving 180 miles isn’t something I’m looking forward to. But the weather is supposed to remain like that for several more days and I don’t think my boss would be too pleased if I stayed in Dublin for an extra week.

1 Jan

14 miles, 1:50:45, 7:54 pace, HR 150

2 Jan

8 miles, 1:03:01, 7:52 pace, HR 150