Making up for lost miles

This week has been poor for running mainly due to lack of time, so today I'd thought about doing a long run. Trouble was I wanted to go to Vogrie for CaniX as it's good for Nethy and I both to run with a pack, not to mention the fact that I end up running the 5k route much faster than my usual pace so it's a good workout for me. So in the end I did Vogrie and an additional run this afternoon.

Matt was taking Ruby and her friend to Dunbar swimming pool so they dropped me off at East Linton and I set off on the John Muir Way. It's a really nice part of the JMW as you only really have one short stretch of muddy field margins and the rest is a mixture of well made and beach trails. The pace was leisurely due to a combination of tired legs from the morning's run and the usual stop offs to take photos. I was also listening to a good podcast on Trail Runner Nation by Dr Phil Maffetone on training at slower paces (i.e. aerobic pace) to improve your speed in endurance races. I'm really interested in metabolic efficiency training mostly as a way to burn fat. I also think the idea of training your body to use fat stores during long runs to prevent you hitting the wall makes perfect sense. I might look up Dr Phil's book and when I get my new GPS watch and HRM I might get a bit more serious about things and try some of these techniques. For now I'm running slow because that's the only speed I can run!!

My favourite part of the route is when you get onto the dune trails and into the woods at John Muir Country Park. It's so nice running alongside the beach and then onto the dry, pine needle covered tracks that wind through the woods. It's certainly a welcome relief from mud! The clifftop path that leads you into Dunbar is also really nice, apart from having to skirt the golf course. It does have some great views of the Bass Rock and as the name suggests some rather splendid cliffs.

I felt really good when I reached the leisure pool at Dunbar and had clocked just over 7.5 miles, further than I thought it would be. Matt and the girls were still in the pool so I settled my muddy self down at one of the poolside seats after purchasing a banana and a cuppa. I have to say that Dunbar pool seems to attract a very unhealthy looking bunch of people. It's not like it's actually a 'swimming' pool in the sense that you can get some good exercise and burn some serious calories. This is a leisure pool so bobbing and floating is the only activity most people get. Not really a good enough workout to justify a large plate of cheesy chips and a can of coke now is it??! And couldn't you have gone to get your clothes on before you ate your greasy fare instead of sitting in your bikini right infront of me?? It's no wonder we're a nation of fatties if our sports centres can't even supply healthy nutritious food for us to eat. I don't think I've seen so many fat kids in one place, and it really made me sad :( Luckily for you I didn't take pictures of them, instead here are some of the beautiful countryside...

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