Mission accomplished

Having now successfully negotiated the small outdoor 2.25 mile loop twice, I returned to the 3.5 mile loop where I failed so spectacularly just after Christmas. Running at about 5pm it was already dark but not too cold, so relatively ideal.

As always the hardest part was the first quarter mile or so, but as I headed out round the Bicester ring road there were plenty of joggers out. I think the hardest thing for me is to make sure I don't go too fast - if I need to maintain running for as long as will eventually have to, it's got to be slow!

A little while in, a novice runner emerged from a side road and ran 100 yards or so in front of me. It was clear that she wasn't fast but was steady, but I showed no signs of catching her, so the best thing was to use her pace as a guide. If she too is running and blogging, then I apologise to the lone female runner who had some long-haired polyester clad bloke following her for a mile or so.

She dropped out and I continued, and again it was handy to use different landmarks as incentives to run the next small section. The roundabout off the ring road, the train station, the junction with Launton road, the railway bridge, Homebase, and before you know it I was home.

It did occur to me that the combination of any number of 2.25 and 3.5 mile loops would be ideal for building up my distances. So much so that as I approached home I considered throwing in a 2.25 mile loop for good measure. OK, I didn't do that as it wasn't my goal for the day, but I'm glad I felt I had the energy and morale to try it.

Highlight of my run was running past one of those automated signs that flashed up "30 - slow down" exactly as I ran past! Of course, it was the 35 mph car behind me that did it but it's nice to think that I'm running fast enough to set off speed traps!