Round-up: 2 weeks of declining activity

I've been a bit lax lately, both in getting out for exercise and in blogging about it when I do, so here's a quick round-up:

Fri 15 March: the day after the Blue House run, I was out again for another lunchtime jaunt, this time just scraping the edges of Heaton Park and Jesmond Vale. It was a 6K run, but it's always a little frustrating as a destination, as time constraints mean I have to turn back almost as soon as I've got somewhere nice. I need to do the X63 to South Gosforth run again sometime; at least then I'd get to do the full length of Jesmond Dene and Jesmond Vale.

Sat 16 March: no parkrun again. 🙁 The girls were being parents for the day and they ruled it out.

Sun 17 March: A long-awaited return to Junior Parkrun for Daughter the Elder. 🥰 Not only that, she did herself proud, getting a time of 13:14, which is her 3rd best time ever. Not bad for having had zero practice for 6 months. I even got a sweat on myself keeping up with her, but then I hadn't expected to run with her and was wearing jeans as well as t-shirt, fleece, coat and a rucksack. And she's got a wicked sprint finish too. 😂

Oh! Clip 'n' Climb too! For once, I joined Daughter the Younger in her climbing session and this time, I really got into it, getting to the top of loads of walls and higher than I had done before on others. Again, got a sweat on. So while I didn't get out for a run of my own, it was a lovely weekend of exercise with the kids.

Thu 21 March: Finally out for a run of my own, albeit a short one. Due to people arranging lunchtime meetings with me, I even had to do it just before getting the bus home. 😕

My route was pretty basic, but dipping in and out of the Tyne Gorge enough to properly drain me over the course of 4km. It also gave me the chance to mop up a bit more local street art after the mural run the other week. Overall pace: 5:25/km.

Fri 22 March: back to the lunchtime runs, as I'd booked myself a slot this time. This was pretty aimless, but took in a lap of All Saints Church, a quayside stretch, Ouseburn, and a return over the Byker Bridge, so there was enough climbing in it to satisfy me. Overall pace: 5;35/km.

Sat 23 March: volunteering at Chopwell Wood parkrun with Daughter the Younger. She'd protested that she didn't want me to disappear on a Saturday morning and said she at least wanted to come with me. So, volunteering it was. At least we walked the course, taking on the Tail Walker role. So, 5km, but just walking. And it took us over an hour. 😂 Still, it was lovely to share it with her as well as being handy to get my volunteer ratio back above 10%. And I'm now just 2 parkruns away from hitting the 50-run milestone.

And... that's it for now. Hopefully 2 more lunchtime runs before the weekend and then it'll be a junior parkrun in Leeds with Daughter the Elder. Looking forward to it. 😁

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