Month Total 961

Which means that if all my calculations so far have been correct that I've ended the year with a total of 12,148 minutes of running time. Almost 202.5 hours, or almost 17 hours per month.

Week totaal 138

Without really putting much effort in, still got out 4 times this week.

Deer at Dawn

32 min
Start 8.00
Couple of wandering circuits of the complex with a very faint sunrise marbling through the clouds. Sproet spotted a small deer running along the perimeter fence at one point and gave chase. Came back after a few minutes looking well pleased with himself.

Bloeyendaal

31 min
Start 8.00

Invisible Sunrise

30 min
Start 8.00
It's been a grey Christmas and no change this morning. Sproet and I did a couple of circuits, stopping after the first one to snort some Ventolin as my lungs were squeaking pathetically.

Chicken Run

45 min
Start 14.45
Few circuits round the complex with breaks to check the simmering temperature of the chicken.

Week total 258

Have just worked out that I've now already completed my yearly running total of 12000 minutes. With 10 minutes to spare. So everything I do next week will just add to the surplus.

Sproet at Dusk

22 min
Start 16.45
Picked Sproet up from his house and ran out to Bloeyendaal and back in the last of the light.

Chopped Up Run

46 min
Start 16.00










Wandered about the complex listening to the latest ExtraMilePodcast. Break in the middle to ditch gloves and neckwarmer at the house. Did an extra circuit at the end to hear the end of the Christmas poem one listener had sent in which incorporatated a whole story with Kevin as Santa and a whole troupe of runners pulling his sleigh.

Go with the Flow

47 min
Start 16.15
As often happens my run didn't go completely according to plan. Started off meaning to run the Intratuin circuit but after 18 minutes the threatening cloud started to let loose some sleety rain and the sky was getting too dark for it to be likely that I'd able to complete the circuit before total darkness so I wimped out and went back the way I'd come. Did do the home strait a bit quicker than my normal plod mode (combination of sleet + AC/DC helped) and when I got home there was still a bit of light. I felt much better than of late (having remembered to snort some Ventolin beforehand) and decided to try a 'fast circuit' for the first time in ages. 12 minutes 40 sec. Not a world record by any means but I was pleased that I'd at least felt capable of upping my speed a bit.

New Drugs

49 min
Start 16.00
Finally got myself round to the chemist to pick up my repeat prescription of asthma drugs. I had more or less weaned myself off them but have noticed with the colder air that I do apparantly need them. Without, it takes me a good half hour to get my lungs to work properly without protesting. And since I've lost the last Ventolin (and it had only a few doses left in it) and had found the old prescription in a drawer (whilst looking for the inhalor) I decided it was time to get some new supplies. Almost turned round and went away again when I saw how busy it was as I didn't really fancy spending time in a crowded waiting area filled with probably sick folk, but ach, if I postponed it yet again the winter would probably be over before I got myself organised enough for a second visit so I joined the queue and glared at the couple of snotty toddlers to keep them well out of my breathing space. Luckily the wait wasn't too long and I was soon handed over my stash.

Of course, forgot to actually take them before I went out for my run so yet again the first half hour was a bit laboured but kept going for a slow but steady run to the Berekuil via Bloeyendaal and back via a few streets full of Christmassy lit living rooms I could nosey into as I ran past.

Shell Seeker

94 min
Start 8.00










The plan was first to run out to the Shell garage and beyond along the grassy path but when I got out I decided to do the first bit via the Benschop detour as I didn't want to spend the whole run with wet shoes. So did the 3 sides of the square and then crossed the road to join the path.

Heavy going over the muddy tractor tyre tracks and then suddenly the path stopped as there was a ditch barring the way. Climbed over a fence and went through a very waterlogged field (seriously wet feet time). Managed to get onto a path behind the Shell place but it ended fairly shortly afterwards where a viaduct led the way under the main road. I could have gone back via IJsselstein but didn't want to make the run too long and I already had wet feet so just went back through the fields to join the path for the last bit home.

Week total 268

The plan was to do this week's running in 4 sessions but because yesterday was cut short by the horizontal rain added another run this afternoon to get me up to (and beyond) total.

Twilight in Utrecht

37 min
Start 16.00

Dane in the Rain

13 min
Start 15.30
One of the frequent squally showers of today caught us half way round the first circuit and Joep, being as wimpy about rain as most Great Danes are, headed straight for home.

Clouds

63 min
Start 15.30










Good run on the path out to IJsselstein. Went a bit further than my usual distance to the gate at the roundabout as the vegetation is now less impenetrable than it has been before.

Sunless Sunday Run

85 min
Start 15.30
Good run out past the windturbines and then across the fields and back through Benschop. Slightly longer circuit than last week as I took a different path, slightly further away than the one through the Rozenboom campsite.
My breathing was much less laboured than yesterday as I remembered to inhale some Alvesco before I went out. (Can't find my Ventoline anywhere...) It seems I do need it when the air is cold and/or damp.

Domgrrl Run

70 min
Start 15.30
Ran out to the outskirts of town to deliver a small parcel to a boekgrrl then went out on the path towards Groenekan. Back via Bloeyendaal and a last circuit of the Wilhelminapark where I met a woman who had also lived in Soest.

















First half hour of running was heavy going. It wasn't particularly cold so am not sure why my lungs seemed to be making such heavy weather of it but it took me ages to get going properly.

9 day total 297

Keeping to the schedule by the skin of my teeth this week. Lots of wind and rain but with Joep to at least make sure I got some short runs in I managed a perfect average of 33 minutes a day which is just over target for 1000 minutes in a month.

Car Wash Run

32 min
Start 15.30
2 short runs about the complex with Joep. Washed the car in between them.

Figure of 8s

35 min
Start 11.00

Round all the paths of the complex in various combinations of figures of 8. Joep looking at me at every corner with a big question mark hanging over his head.

Fluffy Clogs

35 + 26 = 61 min
Start 12.00
Shortish meandering run about the complex between hail showers. The sun even came out briefly now and then.



On the way into Utrecht stopped at the Runners World shop to get a pair of the clog shaped Mizuno slippers that were on offer.




Later: Had another 25 minutes at 16.30 as Joep had to go out and it was just as easy to run as to walk.

Benschop Plus

74 min
Start 15.30

Out past the windturbines then across the field through the Rozenboom camping, back through the village where the lights were just coming on.

After the Rain

60 min
Start 13.00
The plan was to go for a walk with the forester this morning (something I signed up for on the market day in Benschop during the summer) in Lopikerwaard but because it rained heavily with a howling wind all morning this was postponed.
Eventually around 1 o'clock the sky looked as if it was clearing a bit so I went out for a circuit where I would pass a letterbox to post a card to Paula.
The last bit was Very Muddy.

Rush Hour in Utrecht

35 min
Start 16.30
Out round Bloeyendaal and back via the Emmalaan and a few other streets. Still a surprising amount of leaves on the trees - this time last year I'd already had my first run in snow and now it's still very mild.