Running on Christmas day

A belated happy New Year and a belated posting. I’ve been away for two weeks in the sun but I’m pleased to say that I only took one week off of training and continued my running while on holiday. I like to think that that’s a really dedicated thing to do but it’s not half as dedicated as the runners back in an arctic Britain who snowplowed on regardless.

I did my fair share of sub-zero running before I went away as I picked my way down the South Bank in the ice. And on Christmas day I surprised all of my family by passing up the post-presents, pre-dinner trip to the pub to go for a six-mile run. It was pretty icy on the roads so I headed for a golf course which had a good 4 inches of snow in some parts that had been totally undisturbed and was footprint-free until I arrived.

That is my top tip that I’ve learnt so far this winter. If it’s snowy or icy – head for the grassof a park, field or golf course. You might get cold feet but you’re much less likely to slip.

So that’s the story of the past few weeks. I’m now on Week 4 of my training plan (I repeated Week 3 while away) which calls for 3 miles today, then 5, 3 and 8 for the rest of the week. Today’s three are already in the bag.

I promise that, from hereon in, I will update more regularly and try to make my posts a bit more entertaining. I will also be revealing which running book has recently taken its place on my bookshelf and is, in my opinion, something everyone should be reading.