Sunday 31st Jan 2020

Weather Condition: Clear, 2C, Humidity 81%, Wind 11 KM/H Mostly Sunny

Location: Hampstead, London

Running Structure: Long run 19.05 km 1h44min

Feeling: Pace felt a little fast for a long run

Heart Monitor: Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire + Garmin HRM-Run Heart Rate Monitor Strap

Running Apparel and Trainers: Mizuno  Half Zip Merino Wool Running Top with OMM Contour Race Fleece Running Top, Asics Gel Kayano 27

Checked the weather last night it was forecast to be cold almost 0° but dry so I was very keen to get out before any potential snow or rain. Again I wrapped up really well had about four layers on and ran into central London to meet my friend Dr T. It turned out into a lovely morning with the Sun coming out it was a little bit icy Underfoot in Primrose Hill.

It makes quite a difference leaving for a run little bit later, there are a lot more people out running in the park which at this time of lockdown is really nice to see. We took a route that took in the sun, again running past Kensington Palace and back towards Oxford Street and up to towards Regents Park. My friend,the good doctor accompanied me back up towards Regents Park, which had the added advantage of having company and hence no excuse to stop on the Hilly parts or at all. 

Consequently, this was actually a bit pacey in parts for a long run. What I like about this run is that there is quite a lot of variety, some long-distance insurance some hills and most enjoyable. I had a look at my Strava data, the elevation looked interesting - apparently I had a 148m elevation gain! I need to spend some time geeking out on the Strava Premium features and figuring out whether it is worth it compared to stats from the Garmin app. 

During lockdown great views.When I left DT, I stopped to put on my AirPods and try out for the first time the Nike run club app. I have never tried a spoken guided run before so I loaded up the recovery run, as I did not want to run too fast. I actually found it quite motivating, it’s a good distraction, particularly when you’re finding the work out a little tough, so I am going to try it on some of my next runs. In the end I managed to crack out 18.25 km on a lovely crisp Winter morning, good company, good chat and a bit of sun. Ideal.

Bonus: Back to my lockdown one target of at least 100km in a month