Karen writes: Windy, rainy run - nice!

The change from daylight saving and looming winter season means that evening runs now take more thought.  Especially, like tonight, when the weather is bad.   I headed out for an 80 minute run, decided to head up the main road towards Beachlands to make the distance a little more interesting.  Car lights were starting to come on, the rain got progressively harder, the wind was blowing my pendant over onto one shoulder where it annoyingly flicked up occasionally to hit my ear, and the jacket tied round my waist was billowing out like a little sail.  As I ran back along the waterfront at Te Puru park there were flocks of small birds being buffeted about by the wind, I wondered if they were trying to land in a tree to settle for the night but wasn't going to hang around to find out, it was time to go home!

It was dark by the time I climbed up the driveway, I was getting cold and soaked to the skin, but I feel like I am on the verge of something happening with my running.   Tonight's 12km, and last nights 5km...were enjoyable!  My running is feeling faster, the gait feels more fluid and its easier which is something new as I usually feel like I do more of a lumber than a lope.  Perhaps there is hope...will I possibly get to that 4 hours 30 for the Rotorua Marathon...or more likely take the usual 'keep lots in reserve' approach and dawdle and talk my way around the lake?

Going for a run with Kate tomorrow, there is a hill route out by Howick we used to run regularly, up hundreds of steps, across board-walks, through bush.  Might be a mudbath looking at the weather forecast though!