Over-doing it on my birthday!

It's my birthday, it's a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and where am I?

a) In the pub drinking champagne?
b) In a restaurant indulging in tasty vegan treats?
c) In the park with my friends getting trashed (or whatever it is the yoof do these days)?
d) Running along Regent's Canal while my poor aunty awaits me with wishes for a more rock 'n' roll neice?

No prizes for guessing, my version of birthday excess was to go for the long run I've been procrastinating about for the past 2 weeks. My previous longest run was 10k, so I thought "hmm, maybe I'll try about 11k today", but I made the mistake of not measuring the added stretch of the route until I got back and, oops, I did 13k - all the way to Paddington Basin (from Caledonian Road)! As I passed Little Venice I savoured a smell of 'gardens' (mingled herbs, flowers, and soil/rotting), which reminded me of my early childhood. I crave more outdoor time, which running is helping with.

No wonder that last stretch was so difficult! The first 3k hurt a bit, for about 6/7k after that it was really quite fun! The last 3 hurt a lot and I felt very drained, though the giant climbing plant that turned an amazing sunset/bonfire hue a few weeks back still has enough warmth in its leaves for a hug-like colour bath as I pass. I hope increasing fitness will extend that lovely middle middle bit and decrease those tricky painful bits!

Obvioulsy I over-did it, and was completely exhausted for my birthday evening - my band b-loco played at Music is the Weapon (Brixton Jamm). But it was amazing fun anyway, and I got to bed at 7am....

My legs still ache! I felt I am starting to get some technique and still benefitting and improving lots despite losing my routine with the change of job (and I STILL haven't got a bicycle...).

As the weather gets colder it is a drawback needing to stop when I reach Camden Lock market - it's slow progress with shoppers and tourists, and I got really freezing on the way back. But every cloud has a silver lining - with money tucked in my sock I was able to buy much needed water from one of the food stalls. I believe I need to start thinking about snacks and drinks and all sorts of tekkie things if I go any further. Perhaps my aunty was right about subscribing to a running magazine now that I'm not speaking to Mr Slippery Fishy.

Oh, and the other benefit of running through Camden is the opportunity to take fashion inspiration from the yoof contingent ever-present on the grassy verges. Ever so useful now that I am working with the yoof (though indirectly). I wonder who will crack first and seek warmer surroundings as the canal-side temperature drops - me or them?