Yesterday was, in the local vernacular, “a bit shit”. Today was better – yay! I have my theories on why yesterday was so rubbish, but I think that lack of sleep played a big part.

Recognising that, I’m now staying up late to try and get this blog post written. Oh how I don’t learn.

So today’s work-related fun was mostly around software licensing and getting some decent ownership deeds in place for a bundle of things that I’ve been developing (or have been working with others). I met the solicitor who will be doing the work over at Source, my favourite deli/beer shop/breakfast haunt. I find that it’s good to hold business meetings somewhere with shelves full of beer. Even if I can’t drink them, it’s somehow reassuring.

I’ve also been mulling over the idea of being a project manager. Apparently that’s what I’m doing most of the time. Although I’d class it as project mis-management. Training might be in order and this is probably something for February. While I very much enjoy programming and think it’s a noble skill and profession, I think that economics and practical time management have meant that I’m organising others to do the writing and not me. Oh well, I suppose this is just one home truth that I need to learn to live with. Plenty more where that came from!

The schedule said that I should do a four mile run today, with some intervals. However, I was feeling slightly bad for skipping the long run at the weekend, when I was at training and didn’t really have time. So I resolved to do the long run today.

My happy plan of going for the run and then getting the children was scuppered due to a mixture of phone calls, emails and trying to work out a route that would start and end at the school. So instead I waited until after taking the children to Tai Kwon Do.

I worked out a pleasant route out through Burscough, up towards Lathom, over to Westhead, up the hill back into Ormskirk and then gently downhill again to our house. It would have been a great route – had it not been pitch black and on one of the craziest-driving back roads in the Borough. So I had to reassess.

In the interests of staying alive, I decided to go for the uninspiring, yet lit, route of running along the A59. Out through Burscough and then on towards Rufford. Turning around at 3.5 miles and then running back.

The only problem with this route is that it’s basically downhill all the way out and then uphill all the way back. Unlike Monday’s run where the uphill part is for about one mile of a four mile run, this was 3.5 miles down and 3.5 miles back up. When I got to the point of turning around, I was very tempted to just phone Jude and ask her to come pick me up.

Actually, the other problem with this run is that I turn around just after passing a really lovely curry house, right in the middle of nowhere. Last time we went it was delicious. Next time, I should wear a rucksack and pick up some food for when I get home.

Coming back was slower than going out. Pace of 11:30-ish per mile going out 12:45-ish coming back. That’s probably consistent with the terrain. I didn’t want to go too fast heading out because I wanted to get back home in one piece.

I had realised that I was running using my calf muscles the other day, or being over-reliant on them, and so today I tried pushing from my thighs instead. This seemed to work better for the uphill part of the run, but I think it shows that I need to work on my technique. It certainly explains why my calfs had been getting quite achey after runs.

That said, I’m quite achey now. I was a little sore when I first headed out. That was down to my weights liftathon yesterday. I was feeling it when I got home. Having said that, I felt like I could have done another couple of miles at that pace – albeit a slow pace. I think that I might push 8 miles at the weekend.

So I did 7 miles in 1 hour and 25 minutes. This classes as my fourth fastest 5+ mile run according to Runkeeper. However, when I dug into it, it’s my fastest 7 mile run, and I’ll take that, thank you very much. I also wore a heart monitor as I was using my Garmin watch. That showed an steady heartbeat and an average of 155. Given what I’ve read, I think that’s a fair rate.

I got back close to 9pm. Time for a shower, dinner, skype meeting and writing a presentation for the morning. It’ll be another busy day tomorrow. I’m really banking on it being quiet and relatively relaxed at the weekend. Fingers crossed.