A.M. A very warm 4°C (39°F) this morning, clear blue sky and full winter sun. I'd slept an unbelievable 9 ½ hrs last night which for me is not sleep but hibernation. I was in a good mood to run, the niggling ache in my hip is still there but it was a pleasure to be out, to run and to feel warm. I took a trail that takes me high on a ridge above the valley, just wonderful. I'd read an article on winter running that suggests many injuries are caused by the body tensing up constantly to keep balance on snow and ice. I tried to stay as relaxed and loose as I could, taking it easy and controlled downhill and on turns and to keep the pace easy. Total 21k in 1:41:34, av pace 4:50/k, 7:47/mi. |