a struggle this morning

long post warning - got to get this one out of my system!

Monday is LS day - and today was to be 10 or 11 miles - last long run before Brass Monkey next Sunday

so a look at the map suggested I could tag a bit onto each end of the 9 miler to take it up to 10 and see how I feel when I got close to home, whether I might add a bit more on

so early porage then settle to a bit of work until digestion has happened - durign this time the heating went off and I began to to feel cold and ot liek going out - but I must

its grey and miserable, outside the forecast is for showers this morning and heavy and more frequnt showers by lunchtime

so I dug my gilet out of the cupboard, a long slow cold and wet run would be worse than anything

decided to try dextrose tablets rather than gels for energy en route - I find the consistency of the gels is bleurgh and half strength lucozade - too sweet at full strength

so eventually I get out of the door and plod on my extra loop, by the time I join my usual route I have added 0.65 miles

by this time the HRM is beginning to play up and despite groping up my top it seems set on not working - except to occasionally tell me my HR is 224!!
as I am wearing an Enell, I have just tucked it under the strap, without the elastic strap - so maybe the contact is not good enough - though this is not usually a problem - or maybe it need a new battery - will have to investigate.

so will just have to run on feel - and I plod along for a while, but the toxic twenty is turning into 30 and I am tempted towalk, even though it is flat and early days - and I am thinking of escape routes, just doing the 6 miles instead of 9+ - but as I walk to clean my glasses a cyclist passes and calls out 'keep going' so i set of again - thanks to that man!

eventually I get into gear and by the time I get to the escape lane (4 miles) I am not even contemplating taking it!

it is a good for the first 5 miles - some ups and downs but not too much traffic and I have not yet done it eonought ot be bored by it

at the turning point I seem to have a lost a few of my extra yards - and insteadof turning at 5.65 it is 5.5 - ah well

now on the main road and a few buses pass - and I have a thought that I might catch one!

but I keep on going and now I am pleased I have my gilet - on the way out it was sheltered and I did get very warm - but now I am running into a wind and it is trying to rain

on familiar territory I plod up killer hill - managing to keep plodding some of the time but getting rather slow and a few short walks

as I near the turning for home the 9 mile bleeps - and I know it is 0.3 miles up the road to home, so I have lost more of that extra distance - not sure how though!

so I continue on to add a little extra, but it is serious rain and I don't go as far as I should - and dip out for home, by the time I get to the door it is 9.7 miles

and its over

Mile	Pace	AHR
1	12:40		mainly downhill - too fast
2	13:56		downhill and level!
3	13:53		level and up
4	14:23		uphill
5	14:21		still mostly up
6	13:21		turned for home
7	14:09		getting tired
8	13:49		uphill - so not bad
9	14:43		killer hill
0.7	16:01		its raining, uphill and I want to finish!
9.7	14:04		2:16:31

of course, I now wish had carried on past the front door - to make the 10 miles- as Hal Higdon says, don't cheat on the long runs

so its miles under the bonnet and now I have put a new battery in the HRM is it is fine

better today than Sunday!