New shoes, another cold

Sat 11th Feb St Mary's Lighthouse 4.9m 34:55
Sun 12th Feb Tynemouth Priory 6.7m 49:28

After crashing through the 300 mile barrier on Tuesday night I went shoe shopping on Wednesday. Wanted either a pair of Asics Gel DS1100 or Adidas Supernova Cushion. After resisting the temptation to buy from a charver sports store I went to Start Fitness. The Supernova just didn't feel right and they didn't have the DS1100 in my size. The lad suggested I try the Asics Gel Cumulus as they have the same amount of cushioning but without the support. Tried them on, felt great, bought them. Slightly worried that I might actually need that extra bit of support. So far they feel pretty good, nice and light, although I have felt a tingling sensation in my toes towards the end of runs. No injuries yet, lets hope it stays that way.

Anyway, it took me 3 days to strap them on and go for a run. The whole family has been hit by a cold and it just left me feeling rotten. When I eventually ran on Saturday I started quickly (6:45 first mile) and maintained a decent pace until the halfway point. Then I turned for home and the bracing wind smacked me in the face and the illness started to take effect as well. Slowed down significantly and eased myself home. No point killing myself with a long run planned for the following day.

No match this Sunday but the cold and the hangover (really must cut down on the beer, its increased steadily since the turn of the year) made me switch the morning run to an evening session. When I finally went out I knew there was going to be no repeat of the previous week's sub 7:00 minute miles. I opted for a steady but comfortable pace of just over 7:20s and managed to keep it going throughout the run. Steady, but unspectacular, although I think the fact that I listened to my body and adjusted the run accordingly is good sign. Maturing as a runner perhaps?