Month 3 - Kicking Assphalt

Inner city life, inner city pressure, this concrete world is starting to get you, the city is alive, the city is expanding, running through the streets can be quite demanding.

The sprung of spring had seen the running begin, and with its Gregorian grace saw April approach, the sun on its shoulder, wind in its hair, and a menu in hand offering an Edinburgh half for starter and a tempting Kilomathon for dessert...too kind an offer to refuse.

All but too soon Edinburgh was upon me, quite literally, as a resident of the city...a brisk stroll to the start venue of Meadowbank Stadium and my first taste of pre-'this'll look great in 40 years' architecture, quite probably constructed in the dark and furnished by the blind...but I digress, this was once an internationaly famed athletics facility and I and 3000 other athletes were stoking that fire once again...to the sound of the starters' pistol the stampede began.

FEEL THE BURN

Dancing my way through the sun-soaked-sea-hugging East Lothian towns the sun hit my eyes like a big pizza pie (that's amore), three tips were gained for the future...always wear sunscreen, never wear a thermal base layer and be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone...lesson learned.  The finish line was crossed, medal collected, apple quaffed, all in a moderate time of 1h39mins44secs.



H.O.T.T.Y

Seven days had passed, a weak to the legs and feet, the shrill of the 5am Sunday alarm could mean only one thing, arise dear Russell and find ye a kilomathon to conquer, 26.2km of 'the perfect race distance'.  Heeding the tips from the previous week the sunscreen was forgotten, red-wristed from the slapping that ensued I entered Fife, the land to where my existence was shaped...but barely did I have time to bless ye Fife than it was about turn and Forth back over the Firth to the sanctity of a Queen named Ferry and her braw Haws Brae.  At precisely 2hr6mins59secs the finish was met, medal donned and goodies bagged, race 4 twas complete.

A fond farewell to the month - total distance covered 101.17km in 486mins over 9 runs.

Injury update (but not excuses) - feet and big toe.

Stay tuned for Month 4, brought to you in association with www.justgiving.com/russell-beswick