If you want to get better at running… run.

This week the temperature dial has been turned down.

My Saturday long run found me with chilly hands for at least the first half mile or so… and normally my hands are hotter than the sun, so that’s it. Autumn - it’s official.

It’s been a mixed bag this week of treadmill runs, chilled out runs, an effort session (200m efforts x 50 billion reps I think), and back into the forest for Long Run Saturday.

I was running for time again rather than distance this week. I’m going to stick with this in the early stages of long run territory, at least until I need to start cranking up the distance. And while I ran for an extra 15 minutes since my last long run (which was on the flat flat flat), I only got .45 miles further.

A while ago, that would have made me feel disheartened.

Now though, in my hilly playground, that’s fine. If I can do 8.5 miles in the forest, and still make it back to the car, then that’s a good day.

These trail runs are tough.

I reckon 1 mile of forest run is worth the equivalent of at least 3 miles of a regular run.

There are no flat surfaces. Whether it’s a long and gradual hill, or the mile high beast about halfway, short and sharp or the kind that creep up on you and tap you on the shoulder, these hills are the best training buddies I could ask for.

I used to be queen of the downhill but these days these 40-something year old quads have a lot more to say about the downhill and honestly, I prefer to go up.

Yep.

I prefer the up to the down.

I know, I hear it. I think there may be something wrong with me.

My route on Saturday was always going to have the regular hills, but as an added bonus, there’s a mile long climb up out of the valley and out to the forest boundary. It’s an absolute beast.

And there I was, looking forward to it.

Looking forward to getting there, plugging myself in, and just getting to the top, no matter how long it took and enjoying the ride all the way up.

Of course, at the turnaround point, I got to do the downhill only to be faced with the pretty much non-stop uphill to get back to the car park.

These are the bits I like. They aren’t fast. They aren’t pretty… but they are kinda perfect.

I had a go at making a teeny video as well! 👇

…all practice for my mile shout outs I’ll be doing on marathon day itself… if you don’t know, I’m selling my miles for a business shout out. I launched a week ago and the miles are starting to sell so if you are interested, let me know! (Hear more about it here).

So in all, this week - nothing profound, no great revelations, just the quiet business of getting it done. Showing up, and becoming better at running by, well, running.

If you’d like to support me without sponsoring a business mile, feel free to fuel me with stollen, the current fuel of choice - you can bung a couple of quid into the bucket here. 😊