Long time runnin..

I was going to do 18 miles this weekend, as my last long run was 15 miles a week ago,  but I found myself feeling inspired to go a few extra miles and made it to twenty in a bit over three hours. Strangely I rather enjoyed this run of two parts, despite having to gird myself to do it.

I ran from my daughter's gymnastics class at Kidbrooke back to Bexley, taking in a bit of Woolwich Common where there was no sign left of the Shooting Gallery from the Olympics. It started hailing then, in a sort of capricious March way, and I ran very slowly up Shooter's Hill, hail at my legs, past the "Chummy's Shellfish" shack which always raises a smile (I'm not sure why but any distraction is welcome) and over the top into suburban Kent, past the shoppers on Welling High Street and up through Danson park). 

I then necked a bottle of Lucozade Sport which I'd left by the front door before doing another 10 mile loop towards Swanley and back to Sidcup, then home. 

I didn't see any other runners, or any interesting nature. I wasn't really up for looking..

But what was eminently satisfying was that I could do it - I was healthy enough to run, and also I had the grit to keep on going.  I thought a lot about the boy whose charity I am running for - Aiden Goodwin - who died just before his fourteenth birthday - and I felt thankful for my health, and that of our children..