Doing your own (running) thing.

 Very pleased to have been able to have logged 40 miles for last week.  Whilst none of them were approaching the pace I would hope to be racing before too long, at least I feel as if I'm steadily building a foundation of fitness again to enable me to return to where I was last November. It was then that the advent of the snow resulted in too many deviations from a safe routine and the problems started.
 This week  the plan was to not only consolidate on that mileage total but also introduce more hills into the miles,  see what a moderate track session would show me and all being well finish off the week by nudging up last Sunday's 9 by another mile or so.  
    Slow and steady progress,  sticking to my plan, doing my own thing and all being well staying injury free.
 Wednesday and so far ,so good.  I say good, the so called "easy" 4 over Bingley way on Monday was made much harder than intended as the continuing gales did their best to pitch me into the Leeds Liverpool canal.
Tuesday I was back on the road for a testing hill circuit and today I made a welcome return to the Strid Woods for the first time this year for an undulating trail 5.  See how the track goes tomorrow!
  Variety in the training is key to me to staying motivated and injury free. So it's been good in the last week to get back to my old haunts; running on the canal , the Strid Woods and tomorrow doing the first rep session for the year. 
  I'll be tackling it by myself of course.   But that's another factor in staying injury free, isn't it?   I think sometimes it's best run alone rather than  with  friends  if we know it will be too hard share a run on that particular day;   or  even do your own thing on a Tuesday club night after a race,  when you know that others who haven't done the race ( or are younger and recover faster) will  be giving it some as usual!  
  Don't get me wrong,  it was always great to share hard miles with others but  as I've got older and lost fitness I've learnt to be wary of trying to keep pace with my younger and faster friends.  Older but perhaps wiser. 
 Having said all that,  it's half term next week;  perhaps I'll find a friend or two to run with late morning!