Running Blind - and Deaf

I was halfway to the gym this morning when I realised I'd left my iPod at home. Never mind, I thought, only 2 miles to do today, I can manage without.

I got to the gym, turned on my Garmin and left it in a plant pot outside the building to locate the satellites while I went inside to leave my gear in a locker and go to the loo. I got back outside again, picked up the Garmin and it immediately turned itself off - battery was dead. So not only did I not have anything to listen to, I didn't know how fast I was going, or how far.

I've run between the office and Chilworth roundabout enough times now to know roughly where the 1 mile point is, and therefore where to turn around and go back again, but I really had no idea how fast I was going, other than it felt like I was doing more or less my normal speed. It's strange how quickly you get used to technology - I've only had the Garmin a few weeks and I'm already hooked on knowing what pace I'm doing at all times...

And while we're on the subject of running, the schedule for last Sunday said 6 miles. I mapped out this route, but when Sara and I came to run it, it turned out to be just over 6.2 miles, which is 10km. My first 10km! At least now I know I can run it without stopping. My shoulders were aching by the end - I'm aware that I run with them slightly hunched and am trying to stop, but I must have been doing it without realising. Then as the day went on, more and more things started aching - the upper left part of my back, the inside of my left knee, the inside of my right ankle... by the time it got round to going to bed I could hardly make it up the stairs ;).