A Tough Commute ...

Today I did something I never thought I could, I ran 15 miles to work in rubber socks and 15 miles back in the evening (in trainers!). More importantly I raised over £250 for Children in Need!

When I set myself the challenge a week ago, I thought the 15 barefoot miles would finish me, but after 3 training runs I seem to have trained my muscles to run in the "five fingers" and I felt really good when I arrived at work with 20 of my colleagues cheering me across the park to the office.

One of my colleagues, Caroline, a seasoned club runner offered to join me halfway .. well that was the plan. She had started running towards me at Clackmannan Bridge and I'd disappeared into the long grass for a call of nature just at the moment we would have passed eachother. After an exchange of confusing texts we spoke on the phone to find out she was on the clackmannan side of the bridge and I was a mile furter on where she had parked! Anyway, she turned on the pace, i stopped to take a few piccys on the way with my phone (inc this one) and she ended up going a different way, overtaking me and waiting for me at the start of Grangemouth.

The way back was a bit different, mostly in the dark, two fruisli stops, and I was like the duracell bunny whose batteries were slowly running out. The last five miles was slow going, but I got there.

Reflecting, I can't believe I did it. I've only ever run 8 miles before and not for a long time, but after 3 training runs over the course of a week, I've run further than a marathon, albeit quite slowly! What's more, I'm not crippled today like I was last monday after 2 runs at the weekend. I'm not going to bother training for a half-marathon or marathon though - I'm going to train for an ultra .. you heard it here first ;-)