I love Alli. After my last run was such a horrible experience for me I reached out to some friends.
Ali's training for a ultra marathon. 60 miles in South Africa in June. She's doing lots of long runs. She's a machine.
So we met at lunchtime in Nottingham on a Sunday.
It was snowing. But I had a friend. And I couldn't let her down.
We set off. Thick snow in the air. I hate getting rain in my face so if the weather is looking inclement I'll run in a cap. I'm glad I had it on as the snow was so heavy. A bit slippery underfoot and the puddles were slushy.
Most running shoes are designed to be breathable. Which is excellent when it's warm and your feet are hot. It's less desirable when the wind is cold as it blows right through. It's relatively easy to avoid puddles too. The problem lies when you just catch one puddle with your heel, you don't quite make it across. The water splashes up momentarily. Not for long. But if your trailing foot is swinging through on the next step, then the water lands directly on top of your foot. Directly on top of the breathable panel. And your foot is soaked in icy water. Brrr.
Don't worry, that exact thing doesn't happen so often, only maybe four or fives times every run.
I used to have a waterproof trail running pair but they died a year ago. I really must buy some new trainers.
It was tough but you just keep plodding on. With Alli by my side, there's no reason to stop. You just keep plodding on. And by the end the snow has stopped. And you realise you forgot to take a photo and now no-one will believe how heavy the snow was when you went for a run. D'oh.
But Alli? That lady's a legend. For running with me the whole 16km (10miles). Chatting and distracting from the pain. That lady's a legend. Have I said that already?
