Meadows Loop - 7.5km - 55min 51sec

So quite a bit faster this morning. 7min 25sec to the stretch split and then the rest of the way was pretty straight forward.

Foot pains on Lauriston but they went away by Potterow and climb to Bruntsfield seemed ok too. However, has a stick from Tesco all the way back to the Park which was unfortunate.

Still far to heavy and although some weight has come off in the last couple of weeks I can't help thinking that it's not doing my joints any good and it definitely isn't helping my time.

What can I say? I love eating.

Cramond Esplanade - 6.2km - 47min 6sec

There was a mega headwind along the esplanade this morning. We started out really slow and this ended up being more of a jog than a run. The split was 25mins and change and it really felt quite slow.

However, the way back was fine and due to the slow pace we were able to talk for the whole run unlike last week. Towards the end we were actually running but still the overall time was quite a bit slower than last week. Oh well. Don't suppose it matters since overall it felt like a better run.

Hip not too bad but now right ankle really playing up. Broke that when I was a kid pretty badly and have horrible memories of a black rubber gas mask being forced onto my face in A&E to put me to sleep so that they could pull everything straight.

...But it's not straight. No wonder it still hurts 25 years later.

Canal Loop - 4.5km - 28min 3sec

This run started ok. I reached the stretch split at 7min 14sec. Hip was feeling ok until the end but as usual feet were hurting around Toll Cross and really bad at Cargo and the cobbles.

The fast part along the canal was completely black and I couldn't see where I was running so I'm blaming that for the lack of a sub-28min time. By the end I was knackered and I'm glad I only need to do one more run this week and it's not the long one - although it is with Graham so that will probably deliver the pain... again.

Meadows Loop - 7.5km - 58min 58sec

So this is the first time in ages I've run this loop. For the next month it's going to constitute my "long run".

Having said that, it was really tough. I didn't try to run quickly, just get round without stopping. I got to the split at 7min 47sec which was quite poor but that bloody left hip of mine was really playing up. In fairness I should have expected that as it's sore all day long now and really plays up when I'm sitting at work all day.

Anyway, at Lauriston place I was going really slowly but down Potterrow and the Meadow's wasn't too bad. However, by the time I got up to Bruntsfield I was really struggling and that was the theme all the way home despite it being down hill.

Did all my stretches afterwards but my hip is going to be an issue for weeks to come I think.

Cramond Esplanade - 6.2km - 45min 35sec

This was horrible.

I don't know what was going on but I really struggled. On the way back ended up having to slow down and at points walk/run. As usual, Graham seemed to be cruising without much bother.

Legs weren't particularly sore. Feet were alright. Ankles a bit uncomfortable from the camber. Hip not really playing up (although it is now). But the main issue was my breathing. I was out of breath the whole run and felt really wheezy. Don't know if it was because I had an ibuprofen before the run - can make asthmatics wheezy you know!

But I'm not asthmatic. Just unfit.

Canal Loop - 4.5km - 27min 46sec

So the alarm went off this morning at 0530 and I felt a horrible twinge in my left buttock. Over the last few days my backside has been getting sorer and sorer and to some extent I was dreading this mornings run. I'm sure it's my hip and the last thing I need is a hip problem or some bloody sciatica.

Anyway, as I looked at my phone which now said 0537 I almost turned over and went back to sleep. However, I remembered a conversation I had last night at an ENT conference which went like this...

"So, I'm thinking of doing the Edinburgh Marathon next year"

"Why are you doing that one?"

"Dunno?"

"Cause my mate did the Berlin one last year and it was much more of an incentive and there's a great picture of her at the finish line holding a huge jug of beer!"

I think she might have had a point as I haven't really been that enthused about running along the coast and back. All I can think about is the Edinburgh Half marathon last year and how dull a route it was. So with that Berlin in mind I limped out of bed and got onto the street.

The run to the stretch was much faster - 7min 04sec. Cut almost 40sec of that time. It felt good up until Toll Cross and my feet really started hurting again. Once I battled through the cobbles at Cargo I got up to the first bridge and then moved up to a run instead of a jog and managed to make it all the way back at that speed again. However, at that part my hip started hurting and I think that might be the cause of it all.

I guess I really need to keep and eye on it and make sure I'm stretching it out properly each run. Hip problems at age 35 would spell disaster. Anyway, overall time was over a minute faster and if I could run at this pace for a 10k or a half marathon I'd do the following times...

10km - 61min 35sec

Half Marathon - 2hours 9min

Not bad but at this stage highly unlikely. Guess I'll just keep plodding away.

Canal Loop - 4.5km - 28min 51sec

Stretch Split - 7min 41sec

So this run really surprised me this morning. I started this as a fartlek run and I was supposed to be a jog down to Toll Cross and then a run/jog along the canal. Last time I did it I managed to divide the canal bit into 2 runs and 2 jogs. This morning I jogged up until the first bridge and then ran the rest of the way.

Ultimately, I'd like to be able to run at that speed for the whole route which I think is a reasonable ambition. One thing that did give me a fright though is that I was reading the Triathlete's Bible last night and it reckons that in the weeks before an Ironman you should be doing 35 hours of training a week. That's like a full time job almost.

Crazy.