Monday 27 February 2012

Off road running around London: backpack wanted!

Knackered in Wimbledon Common
Best if you can at least stand upright Kate

So for the last couple of weeks I've started introducing a heavier backpack to my training.

Dear lord! It's heavy!

Some concerns floating around my head. Will my centre of gravity be altered so I fall over backwards? Will my shoulders fall off halfway round? Will I be able to even manage a shuffle anymore to beat the camel ok? (you get overtaken by the camels on marathon des sables and you are out!)

Who in their right mind would voluntarily add 4x packs of tuna and 2x cans of tesco value beans to their back to carry each day? Er...me it seems.

Because my left leg has been shouting at me the last couple of weeks I've been walking to work most mornings with said backpack. It's actually been rather pleasant. I generally plug myself into my headphones on the work route as its dull, but walking means you are going at a slower pace so see more London life and notice more things.

That said, you also get given the word of the lord too, but gives a bit of interesting reading along the way.

Walking with a heavy bag is one thing. Trying to run with one is another thing altogether. Last weekend the other half and I trekked over to Wimbledon on the Saturday and Epping forest on the Sunday. We didn't measure mileage, we just "ran" for 2 hours.

I'm not going to lie. I found it tough and I'm a bit nervous about doing that for a week. You get puffed out far sooner, your sense of balance is slightly knocked off course and your shoulders hurt to buggery. And that was just for 2 hours.

No matter. I will have to grin and bear it. Going to run a marathon this weekend with the full backpack to carry on trying to get used to it.

It was rather lovely running in new(ish) places. Both Wimbledon and Epping are offroad and a little muddy and a little hilly - about as good as we're going to get in London to mimic the desert conditions!

Was bitterly disappointed though that failed to spot either a womble or a TOWIE. Boo.

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