Day 163 - Another Hard 2K

I think it has much to do with lack of sleep these days, the day I did 4k I had a good nights sleep beforehand and a sleep in that morning and a restful day. This week I have been getting up at 6 a.m. to make meetings with the partners in Argentina so have not been getting any more than 5 or so hours.

Ran from the Village to Balmoral but felt it all the way, but did remember to pack a cap today which was necessary given the sun is out again. Paused at the lights waiting to change then ran all the way home without stopping or walking (except halfway across a street to avoid a car).

Distance: 1.90 km
Time: 10:43
Average Speed: 10.6 kph
Soundtrack: Daft Punk - Get Lucky/Living Colour - Glamour Boys/Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

Day 162 - The Hard Yards

Ran from the Village but really struggled today compared to the 4k run I did on Sunday around the same time of day but almost breezed through by comparison and half of that was uphill! Despite this did it with no stops apart from lights for 20 seconds.

However lighter lunch today and a very early start means operating on less sleep and energy perhaps? Also running into a nifty head wind on the way down Mt Eden Road.

The GPS is definitely shortchanging me on the last 50 meters or so - I noted that the map now has a zoom function and I can see on most runs that the GPS is stopping the recorded trail two or three houses away from home.

Distance: 1.89 km
Time: 10:34
Average Speed: 10.7 kph
Soundtrack: Underworld - Pearl's Girl/The Hives - Hate To Say I Told You So/American Authors - Believer

Day 161 - Run in the rain from Fairview - no stops

Apart from the 29 seconds waiting for the lights to change at Balmoral road, and I did not rest but kept moving instead of sitting down on the sign for the park.

Last stretch was harder but not grim, after running 4 km yesterday I was mentally chastising myself for thinking about walking a few ...

Distance: 1.49 km
Time: 8:08
Average Speed: 11.0
Soundtrack: Grouplove - Bitin the Bullet/Gran Bel Fisher - Dazey Day/Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly

Day 160 - 4 km = Longest distance/time yet and no exhaustion stops.

Max asked me to pop up to Baker's Delight and get some rolls since I was running anyway. I balked at the thought because it's well over twice my usual distance and twice the run from the Village I do once or twice a week. It's also all uphill on the way there, but at least downhill on the way back.

Then my - never say no - attitude kicked in - the one where I regret things I had passed up in the past so decided to take things on more often, especially things that take me out of my comfort zone.

Ran to the Balmoral lights and waited a minute for the change, all uphill no stops 1 km. Ran to the
Village no stops also up hill - another 1 km. Stopped at Bakers Delight for maybe 2-3 minutes to get rolls for homemade burger dinner and two finger buns for the kids. Ran back to Balmoral Road without stopping, waited another minute for the lights to change. Ran from Balmoral Road to home without stopping. Music certainly helps with pacing and distraction.

Distance: 4.0 k.m.
Time: 23:05
Average Speed: 10 kph
Soundtrack: Faves Mix - incl: Happy/Cult of Personality/Real, Real, Real/Glamour Boys/Open Letter to a Landlord/Ways to Go/Biting The Bullet

Day 159 - The Traffic! Gah!

Ran the block and made it to the dairy without stopping, which is great but once I got out of the dairy the traffic was so bad it took me nearly 5 minutes just to cross the street.

Three buses went past which only jammed up the traffic more, but not enough to make it stop so I could get across safely.

Gah!

Still no stops and would have made it home easily without a walk which is pretty good.

Distance: 1.58 km
Time: 9:13
Average Speed: 10.2 kph
Soundtrack: Damon Albarn - Mr Tembo/Living Colour - Glamour Boys/U2 - Everlasting Love

Day 158 - Stomach bug = light jog

Been having issues with my stomach all morning and so decided to run the shortest distance, in jeans and sneakers at a very light pace, which I did quite easily even in the harsh 2:30 sun.

A run, but only to keep the streak going.

Distance: 729 m
Time: 4:16
Average Speed: 10.3 kph
Soundtrack: Grouplove - Ways to Go/Gran Bel Fisher - Bound by Love

Day 157 - Run with barefoot shoes

I got a pair of Terra Shoes, ones that feel and look like water shoes but are supposed to be low profile for running naturally. I ran from Fairview in them but while I managed to run the mile ish from there to home it jarred my heel on my left foot a lot. I did the run with no stops apart from lights and actually ran up Watling and through the park without walking.

When I got to Watling I ran on the verge (no verges on Mt Eden Road) and instantly the run was better. So I also ran through the park on the grass all the way to home and it was much, much better. Normally when running in my K-Swiss I find grass unbearable as it saps at my stride and feels like sand, the opposite is true in the Terra shoes, they felt like the K-Swiss on pavement.

Distance: 1.45 km
Time: 8:06
Average Speed: 10.7 kph
Soundtrack: Birds of Tokyo - Lanterns/Temper Trap - Trembling Hands/American Authors - Believer

Day 156 - Ran almost 2km without stopping

Ran from the Village where I picked up some buns for the kids at Baker's Delight and then ran to Balmoral, the lights changed in only 15 seconds so I'm not counting that as a stop. Then ran all the way home, limiting my pace like I did yesterday and the day before and getting further on one tank.

Distance: 1.90 km
Time: 10:23
Average Speed: 10.9 kph
Soundtrack: Jesus Jones - Real Real Real/ Foo Fighters - Best Of You/ Grouplove - Ways to Go

Day 155 - Run with Flu - no stops

Ran from Fairview and again with no stops running much slower than usual - or so I thought. there was a girl on the other side of the road on Mt Eden also running and she looked to be running at a good pace, so I noticed when I was catching up on her that I should try and keep pace, which meant slowing down a little and then regulating my own pace. We stayed close together in pace all the way to the dairy near my corner and then I was almost home.

No stops apart from waiting for the lights at Balmoral Road.

Distance: 1.50 km
Time: 7:53
Average Speed: 11.4 kph
Soundtrack: Faves Mix - ending with Lanterns by Birds of Tokyo

Day 154 - Ran a mile without stopping - WITH the flu?

Today I was only planning on running to the end of the street and back, just to keep my hand in, or feet wet or whatever metaphor applies to running, because I have a nasty cold and was not planning on going out at all.

However some drugs kicked in and the sun went down so I decided fresh air was good, so a run may clear the pipes and get me going. I took off and slowed right down expecting to be shot at any time and ready to turn about, instead I got to the corner and saw that the traffic was backed up and I felt good so kept going, knowing the park was not an option so it was time to do the mile, but I felt good. So good I did not speed up, did not walk and did not tire out at all.

Slower than yesterday by 20 odd seconds but yesterday felt worse and walked the steep part of the St Andrews rise, which today I barely even felt.

Odd.

Distance: 1.57 km
Time: 9:14
Average Speed: 10.2 kph
Soundtrack: U2 - Mysterious Ways/Jesus Jones - Who? Where? Why?/Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart (And Tacky by Weird Al while cooling down)

Day 153 - Flu - but ran a mile anyway

So last night my flu symptoms started, even before I ran from KFC if I am being honest and hit with a vengeance last night. This morning slept in and snotting everywhere - not having trouble breathing yet which usually happens midway through if I get a lung infection, which is possible.

Ran the reverse of the block, ran to a third of the way up Watling and then walked 3 times on the steepest parts, and ran from the top of Watling to home without stopping and feel pretty good.

Distance: 1.59 km
Time: 8:58
Average Speed: 10.6 kph
Soundtrack: Pharrell - Happy/Audioslave - Cochise/Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Day 152 - Running from KFC to home

We had decided that I would run to KFC - get dinner and then walk home. However it was hosing down outside and we drove to pick it up, but got in running gear to be dropped off some way from home and then run if it was not raining too hard. But at KFC it was clear and I decided to leave Max with the food and run home.

Ran to about 3/4 of the way then walked the steepest part of Wairiki for about 30 meters, (on the last uphill stretch before Mt Eden Road) then ran the rest of the way home. Was pretty good running the flat parts, but as soon as I go uphill it was a bit of a trial, I think maybe flat is even better than downhill as I pick up too much speed that way and wear out.

Distance: 2.08 km
Time: 12:15
Average Speed: 10.2 kph
Soundtrack: Pharrell - Happy/Living Colour - Cult Of Personality/Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly

Day 151 - Running under load

Today had to pick up some bread from the Baker's Delight in the Village which is always a difficult prospect running with a bag in my hands. What I forgot though was the Macbook Pro in my backpack so I was running 2 km with a 7 kg load on my back. I stepped on the scales and came in at 102.8 kg - stripped off the excess and went down to 96.0 kg

Stopped once before the Balmoral Road lights and then twice or three times on the way back to home from there, though each time slowed to a walk, felt like I was plodding at a pace barely above a walk by the end but was actually still making good ish time.

Distance: 1.92 km
Time: 11:08
Average Speed: 10.3 kph
Soundtrack: Faves Mix ending with Who Am I - Jesus Jones

Day 150 - 5 months in

Ran from Fairview to Balmoral, waited 1 minute at the lights and then ran the rest of the way home without walking or stopping.

Felt pretty good overall not like I was pushing it or suffering and no pain or discomfort from my hip which is slowly improving.

Distance: 1.48 km
Time: 7:37
Average Speed: 11.7 kph
Soundtrack: Weird Al - Tacky/Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart/Audioslave - I am the Highway

Day 149 - The School Run.

Had to pick kids up so ran from Fairview to School - no stops this time apart from a minute at the lights on Balmoral Road. The run up and down Wairiki undulates more than I realise whenever I run through there but managed to go the whole way without issues and felt pretty good even though felt like my rhythm and speed were off, they were not.

Distance: 1.32 km
Time: 6:48
Average Speed: 11.7 kph
Soundtrack: Weird Al - Word Crimes/Jesus Jones - International Bright Young Thing

Day 148 - Best time from the Village

Had to stop and pick something up from the Village shops for Max so stuffed a half kilo of butter into my bag along with some Gummi Bears and set off from there. Got about 200 meters when it started hosing down so I sheltered for 30 seconds as the shower passed and ran into one of the mummies from my daughters class.

Then ran on from there (Fairview) to Balmoral, waited at lights and then ran home with only one small walk from Watling where I always seem to fade.

Best time on that distance by 20 seconds or so.

Distance: 1.83 km
Time: 9:25
Average Speed: 11.6 kph
Soundtrack: Jesus Jones - Real Real Real/GroupLove - Ways to Go/Paolo Nutini - Funk My Life Up/Living Colour - Cult of Personality

Day 147 - Fairview run - faster than usual (recently)

Ran pretty well from Fairview Road to Balmoral, waited for the lights and then lit off from there as there was a girl running ahead of me at a slower pace, so I overtook and ran to Watling walked a few feet and then ran to St Leonards, walked a few feet and then ran the rest of the way.

Felt a bit weird overtaking so I kept the pace going as long as I could to not seem like I was overtaking for the sake of it. However I did pretty well and got home in good time despite a small nag in my hip, which is slowly recovering.

Distance: 1.46 km
Time: 7:25
Average Speed: 11.8 kph
Soundtrack: The Meices - Ready, Steady, Go/Pharrell - Happy/Foo Fighters - All My Life

Day 146 - Harder work today

I feel wearier, heavier and more sluggish but was only 10 seconds slower than yesterday, the same amount of stoppage/walking and yet so less positive by comparison.

Distance: 1.60 km
Time: 9:15
Average Speed: 10.3 kph
Soundtrack: Empire Records OST: Gin Blossoms- Til I Hear It From You/Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You/The Martinis - Free

Day 145 - round the block taking it easy

Took it easy and it felt quite easy today, I ran to the steepest part and walked the last 20 meters or so. Then ran to the Dairy - which was about a kilometre from that point, did a quick purchase and then ran home with it at an average pace.

Felt like it was pretty easy though my hip was twinging a little bit.

Distance: 1.58 km
Time: 9:05
Average Speed: 10.4 kph
Soundtrack: Pharrell - Happy/The Hives - Hate To Say I Told You So

Day 144 - Run from Fairview no stops

Apart from the lights at the Balmoral/Mt Eden intersection that is.

Ran the rest of the way at what felt like a good pace, hip not hurting when running, but sore afterwards when rising/sitting as per the last 2 weeks.

Distance: 1.45 km
Time: 7:18
Average Speed: 11.9 kph
Soundtrack: Pharrell - Happy/Foo Fighters Monkey Wrench

Day 143 - From the Village - Full pack - plus bread

Ran from the village but with twice the usual weight on my back as I had a bag full of clothes, food and birthday presents. Then picked up a dozen baps from Baker's Delight and some finger buns for the kids and then ran from there to home.

Got to Balmoral and stopped at the lights for less than 20 seconds, then ran all the way to Glenalmond walked maybe 30 feet and then ran the rest of the way home without stopping.

Distance: 1.90 km
Time: 10: 29
Average Speed: 10.8 kph
Soundtrack: Happy/Get Lucky/Something else from Faves Mix

Day 142 - pretty good run

Ran from Fairview, all the way to Balmoral, then to Watling, walked for maybe 20 metres and then ran the rest of the way, just under 8 minutes.

Long and tiring day and the run was not that bad, hip hurting less mostly just lack of energy slowed me to walk one section but managed the rest fine.

Distance: 1.49 km
Time: 7:57
Average Speed: 11.2 kph
Soundtrack: Faves Mix

Day 141 - Run 2k to school meeting

Ran from the crest of the hill above the Village (north) and then through lights and to Balmoral without stopping, got 26 seconds paused at the lights and ran up Balmoral Road and then down Ruapehu to Wairiki, much hillier than expected. Walked up the steep part of Ruapehu but ran pretty much all of the rest.

Hip still sore but worse walking than running.

Distance: 2.08 km
Time: 11:18
Average Speed: 11.0 kph
Soundtrack: Faves Mix: Ways To Go/Owner of a Lonely Heart/Glamour Boys/Cochise

Day 140 - 3 Stops on a sore hip

Last few days my sore hip on the right side had been settling down, especially in the warmth of yesterday's run. Today the temperature has dropped and my hip has been acting up all day. So ran from Fairview to home, not walking before the lights and then small walks 3 times on the last half of the last half of my run.

Distance: 1.50 km
Time: 7:55
Average Speed: 11.3 kph
Soundtrack: Faves Mix

Day 139 - Run the long way round Remuera School

Was taking it easy to favour my hip which is slowly getting better, but still managed a mile with only walking a stretch of the steepest rise to Remuera Road, and then only the last 20 or so meters.

Much steeper in some places than I realised and once again the running on grass was the strength sapping part, much better pounding the pavement.

Distance: 1.54 km
Time: 8:42
Average Speed: 10.8 kph
Soundtrack: Pharrell - Happy/Gran Bel Fisher - Moment/American Authors - Believer

Day 138 - Run the block one walk

Tried to run at a slower pace but found myself speeding up in places. Ran to the steepest part of St A's - got maybe half way up and decided to not be a hero. Ran all the way home from there, I had to stop for a car pulling out of a driveway and walk behind it quickly but only 2-3 seconds. At Atanga I actually sped up to get across the road to avoid stopping for traffic and made it easily.

Forgot to say that the run last week where I hurt my hip I swallowed a bug for the first time, had a narrow miss with one today!

Distance: 1.57 km
Time: 8:50
Average Speed: 10.6 kph
Soundtrack: Faves Mix - The Hives - Hate To Say I Told You So/ Vance Joy - Riptide/Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Day 137 - short run to favour hip

I also did walking in bursts to give the pavement pounding a little bit of a rest but ran well over 90% of the way.

Running not really hurting it so much as walking on it is.

Distance: 1.18 km
Time: 6:46
Average Speed: 10.8 kph
Soundtrack: Pharrell - Happy & Daft Punk - Get Lucky

Day 136 - Injured hip

Been limping on it all day but funnily though I elected to have a shorter run, slowing down and walking are both significantly more uncomfortable than running at a comfortable pace.

Ran from Wairiki Road to home which is just under a kilometer no stops (obviously).

Distance: 0.72 km
Time: 3:48
Average Speed: 11.3 kph
Soundtrack: Underworld - Born Slippy

Day 135 - Ouch

Ran from the Village - barely stopped at the lights and then had to stop at Watling for a breather. Decided to run home through the park and so ran the hard way up Watling, which I regretted but had commited to. Then the park started filling up with overly keen dogs I could see bounding inwards when I ran up so went the long way round. Had to walk the steep parts and had a rest on St A's - hip beginning to bite at me and sore.

Tomorrow will run a short route to rest my thigh and hip a little.

Distance: 2.36 km
Time: 13:44
Average Speed: 10.3 kph
Soundtrack: New Faves Mix / Playlist.

Day 134 - Hard 2.7 ks

So the first time in over a week that I have run over a mile after being very sick. Did not help I had little sleep last night - I note that sleepless nights leads to bad runs the next day, good nights leads to good runs. Coincidence? I think not!

Ran to the Village and waited on the lights, overtaking a slower paced runner, felt a bit guilty like I was showing off but I just could not stay in pace or behind her for long.

Stopped twice on the way to Balmoral Road, walking maybe 10-20 feet before running again and stopped again at the lights, stopped to a standstill for the first time ever I think as my hip was sore and was getting a stitch and then slowed to a walk three more times on the way home.

Distance: 2.63 kms
Time: 14:32
Average Speed: 10.8 kph
Soundtrack: Boyhood OST.

Day 133 - Run at work in the rain

Took a lunchtime run to Ponsonby Road and back, in the cold driving rain.

Had to shower at work - but given the grim conditions on today, the first of Spring, better to do it this way.

Distance: 1.51
Time: 7:42
Average Speed: 11.5 kph
Soundtrack: MOS Ibiza Annual 2014