Week 16 Run 2 – Depeche Mode or Iron Maiden?

It’s Tuesday, Mr JCR asked me the night before what time would I be getting up. Having looked at the cooler weather forecast, I’d decided I could go running at about 7-8ish. He arched an eyebrow, knowing full well I could be blagging it, but I was being totally truthful. The weather is cooler and that means I don’t have to get up at stupid o’clock to run.

My successful Team Violet run at the weekend persuaded me that maybe now I should be firing up the hill legs. So far I’ve avoided most hills, other than a few small inclines, mainly because I knew I wouldn’t be fit enough to cope with the hills and the heat together.

Today JCR it is going to be different. I’d planned my running route – Slope of Hope – downhill, followed by The Hill That Kills uphill, Lovers’ Lane – which is both up and down, followed by three runs up the Hill That Kills.

I haven’t really got a clue what the distance would be, but a focus on hills will be tougher than doing a longer distance on the flat/downhill, and I was determined to be happy with the training session and not worry about a distance target.

Now I say that, BUT Map My Run Lady was being a tad difficult – from time to time she loses the GPS signal and today was the day she decided to do it again. I knew it wasn’t going well when she reported that I’d only walked 200 metres in five minutes. Okay I am not as fit as I was, but even so.

The first time up the Hill That Kills and Iron Maiden came on my playlist ‘ Run To The Hills’. Can I say this is not the ideal tempo for my first attempt at the Hill That Kills? I made three stops in my efforts to get up the hill. Pathetic really, and Iron Maiden’s stirring guitar playing wasn’t really a help.

At the top of the hill I turned around and pootled back down again, to the dulcet tones of Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus, and I didn’t need him at that point, all was hunky dory.

Back to the bottom for my second run-up. Hmm well clearly I don’t have hill legs, it was two stops to get to the top and at one stage I paused Map My Run to change the music. At this stage Stupid Tart Syndrome hit again and I forgot to re-start Mechanical Voice Lady. I wish I could say I’d realised it, but I hadn’t, I think I was focussing on burning legs and bursting lungs. It was on my final ascending run, that I realised all my efforts hadn’t been recorded. Which is why when Simple Minds coming on with Don’t You Forget About Me, made me laugh even though inside I was angry at forgetting to switch the app back on.

Talking about being forgetful, I walked back home and walking towards me on the same side of the road was Dame Duvet. Now save for exchanging the occasional Ciao, Salve and Buongiorno, I had forgotten that she doesn’t really know me at all, even though I refer to her in my blog and I sort of feel that I know her. As we passed each other a lorry was driving up behind me, so I couldn’t really give her the required two metres distance, without being run over. So I kept my mouth shut and just put up my hand in greeting and smiled. She didn’t say a word, didn’t smile, just dived into her pockets and put on her mask.

Oops I was ‘mask shamed’ by an Iron faced Maiden aka Dame Duvet. I must admit I’ve never thought of carrying a mask with me when out running in the Marche hills, but maybe I should.

So I confess to my own Personal Jesus, I never thought about carrying a mask when running and I wouldn’t want Dame Duvet to think I don’t care, but given social distancing, wearing a mask and the language/cultural differences, maybe I will have to re-name her Iron Maiden as she may no longer smile/exchange greetings.

A small casualty of Covid, on a day when all my running plans went awry.

I told Mr JCR about the technology fail and he commented wryly that if it wasn’t recorded it didn’t happen, so on that basis I didn’t  run up that hill and nor did I offend Dame Duvet…

Stats

Don’t know – but I did run up The Hill That Kills – four times

10 pauses on THTK

One mask forgotten

One oops moment

Physio

None done – but I did help Mr JCR weed 100 lavender plants

Music

Classic Album Tracks playlist

Best track was The Race by Yello – that’s because it was a good warm up truck, before the rest of the run went belly up.