My Right Foot

   A little over three weeks ago, I went on a 12K run. This was part of my plan to gradually increase the length of my weekend long runs.
   Prior to that run, I had not had any issues with the gradual increase. After that run, however, my ankle hurt like hell. Occasionally.
   It didn't hurt to walk or stand, for the most part. Once in awhile, though, a slight weight shift on that foot would cause extreme pain, enough to almost make me fall over. The sensation was that the ankle was actually giving out on me. It gave out on me once as I was walking down a short flight of stairs and I basically fell down the last two steps. I have had people standing beside me and when I turned to talk to them my ankle gave out and I almost fell over them. I have startled people by yelping as we pass each other.
   The overall feeling was that I'd lost all elasticity in the foot and ankle and that I no longer had the same range of motion available to me.
   It could very well be that I simply overdid it while trying to increase the mileage. I generally wasn't running any farther than 5K during the week and then, on the weekends, I was more than doubling that and this might not have been the best approach. In retrospect, I might have been better off to also slightly increase the mileage during the week as well---nothing earth-shattering, just toss in a few 7 and 8k's now and then.

Blogging and heating my foot
on a Himalayan salt  de-toxifier! If
it works, I'll let you know!

   This past Saturday, exactly three weeks after that 12K run, I hit the road again. For the last few days the ankle has been feeling as normal as it ever does and I thought I should probably test the waters again.
   Initially, the discomfort I felt running was actually in my right knee. The knee has been taking a little extra abuse as I have been favouring the ankle so much for the last three weeks. It got to the point that when I was walking up steps, I would need to angle the ankle off to the right a little so that it was not taking all my weight straight on. This then put extra stress on my right knee. Hence the pain I was feeling at the beginning of my run.
   The knee pain only lasted until I got warmed up and then it disappeared. I really only wanted to test things so I limited my run to 3K. This seemed like an absurdly low mileage for a run but, as I mentioned, I just wanted to do a little wading. The rest of the run, thankfully, was business as usual.
   On Sunday, the ankle didn't feel too bad, going up and down stairs wasn't nearly as problematic as it had been and I was feeling quite relieved. Sunday night, however, I made the mistake at my brother-in-law's place of walking up the hill that is his driveway. I had the option of using steps but ended up taking the hilly route instead. I found this almost impossible. My right ankle would not allow me to roll up the incline in any kind of normal way. This was extremely disheartening, as I felt I'd been making progress up to that point.
   The following day, the ankle ached so much I couldn't even gently do a calf or ankle stretch. Today, it feels a little better.
   Now, every time I yelp, moan, groan or take the stairs on my hands and knees, my wife gives me the so when is your doctor's appointment kind of query or look. I can't really blame her and I am struggling mightily with the whole should I or shouldn't I thing, as far as medical help is concerned. My feeling is that rest will do the trick (because it generally does) and if I could just stay off it long enough it might fix itself. It's just that this is the worst my ankle has ever felt and there's no telling how long it might take to rest it sufficiently.
   To further my anxiety, the lack of running in the last three and a half weeks, coupled with all the extra holiday sweets and meals and I've put on approximately 15 pounds, if you can believe it. I really count on the running compounded with healthier eating to lose the weight I think I need to. Thank goodness the holiday eats are almost over!
   In the meantime, a little more rest is in order and I'll probably wait til the ankle's felt "normal" for a few extra days before giving it another go. And when I do give it another go, it may just be walking!
   

Longest Run Ever!: Part Two

   True to my training plan, I ran 12 kilometers today, my longest run ever! This was one more kilometer than I ran last Saturday and my plan is to add 1K to my long runs every weekend. So far, so good.
   Similarly to last week, I set out from my house and headed east to Springbank Park. From there, I just followed the path along the river until I got to Guy Lombardo bridge. Here is where I clocked out at 6K so I turned around and headed back the same way I came.
   It was an overcast day and only just barely above freezing when I set out. Fortunately it warmed up another couple of degrees by the time I was mid-run and, with a couple of layers on, the running was just right. All the snow and slush from last week had disappeared as well so that was kind of a bonus.
    I've been noticing over the last two or three long runs that, round about 7K in, my right foot starts to become numb. At this point, it sort of feels like I'm running on a wad of something underneath the balls of my feet. It's kind of disconcerting, to say the least. The first time it happened, the feeling never went away and I actually needed to stop running. The last couple of times, it's happened but to a lesser degree and I at least was able to finish. I'm thinking I'll just continue to monitor and if nothing changes then I'll get myself checked out. Today wasn't too bad.
   What was bad today was this occasional searing pain in my right ankle after my run---there have been three or four occasions when I put a quick lateral movement on it and I thought it was gonna snap right off! My calves are also feeling it so there might need to be some TLC this evening for me and my sore body parts...

Made the mistake of putting my hand right INSIDE the ENERGYbits bag!

   I've been popping ENERGYbits the last few long runs. I still haven't been able to decide how much of a real difference they make---I haven't found myself hitting the "wall" if I use them but, at the same time, there always seem to be other variables going on that might account for that. What I can say, though, is that I have a hell of a time getting them all down in one sitting! For the uninitiated, ENERGYbits are small tablets of pure spirulina algae and are meant to more or less replace many of the other energy enhancers runners are prone to trying. The base dose of ENERGYbits for an athletic endeavour is thirty tablets. I make a big production of downing the two small pills I normally take in the mornings so you can imagine what goes on when I try to swallow thirty of them! On top of the sheer amount of them, they taste like...well....algae. Kind of like licking the insides of your fish tank, I imagine. So, at the same time I'm grappling with the amount of them I am also coming to grips with the smell/taste of them. I swallow them in batches of ten and the third batch is kind of iffy, kind of hard to suppress the gag reflex, if you know what I mean. Having said all this, though, I feel I must re-iterate that I've never bonked after taking them. I remember taking Buckley's cough syrup once and it was one of the worst things I've ever tasted but, damn, it worked! So maybe ENERGYbits fall into the same category...

Ten little spots for ten little toes,,,

   What I can un-reservedly recommend, however, are Injinji socks! My wife, Doralyn, picked me up a couple of pairs right after I started running, mainly because of their funky look. I initially had some reservations but was quite willing to give them a try and I loved them! They have a very cushioning feel to them, each toe safely tucked away in its own little envelope, and the overall feel is amazing! A little hard to find in London but eventually did find some at the local MEC store.
   Hopefully, next week I'll be able to tack on another kilometer as I attempt to work my way a little closer to maybe something like a half marathon distance (in case I need a goal or something...) barring having done any real damage to my right foot. Time will tell and, in the meantime, happy and healthy running to you all!

Holy Hanna-Barbera, what happened to my run glove?!

   
   

Longest Run Ever!

   In keeping with my brand-new policy of being a run-blogger who run-blogs, I offer up a report on yesterday's run.
   Yesterday, I ran as far as I ever have in my life!
   When I headed out the door, I wasn't even sure how far I was going to run. Lately I've just been concentrating on 5K training runs, as I've been pushing myself to get under the 36 minute mark (yeeks, that's slow!), eventually aiming at being somewhere in the twenties (ha!) Yesterday, though, I was feeling a little tired and not wanting to push myself so I opted for a slow and easy 10K.

MAINLY to show you the state of
the sidewalks and NOT to show off
what APPEARS to be a double-chin...

   I set out from my house and headed for Springbank Park, the simple plan being to run 5K in that direction and then turn around and head back. A couple of blocks into the run, though, I was feeling so good that I decided I would tack on an extra kilometer, if I thought that I could when the time came. This, then, would make a new record for me---11K!
   Now I know that by most standards this is not a huge distance but I also believe in baby steps and, if truth be told, I've only ever run 10K four times, so it is not like I have this strong base, either. An extra K, in this case, is significant.
   I continued to feel good when I entered the park, about 2 and a half kilometers in. Up to that point, the sidewalks had been pretty slushy and not much fun to run on. The temp was hovering right around just slightly above freezing and there was a conscious effort to avoid large, cold puddles. The running path in the park was much clearer, though, and I was able to settle in to a nice, slow run.
   My only real concern was that I would reach the halfway point in my run and then be simply too tired to be able to run all the way back. I get this feeling every time I've run a 10K and today I was going to be adding the extra mileage. The thing with a out and back run, obviously, is that you're gonna put the mileage in, whether you feel like it or not, even if it means walking back most of the way but I desperately wanted to be able to run the whole thing.
   Well, it turned out that I was able to run the entire way with no real fear that I wouldn't. I did find it necessary to stop four different times for stoplights, for a sum total of about 45 seconds, so no big deal, better to arrive alive. I was running at an 8:33 pace, so very slow, but this had been the plan all along.

ASICS shoes, Nike socks and Sugoi tights---I CLEARLY fulfilled
my Adidas clothing contract stipulations!

   I get the feeling that when I'm running this slow that I could run this way forever (likely incorrectly) so I'm sure that I can continue to add extra mileage on to my long runs. My plan right now is to tack on an extra kilometer every weekend and see how that goes. Eventually I want to run a half or a full marathon, just to be able to say that I did, so this means I  need to up the mileage. Fingers crossed.

The SAD story.....

   I managed to keep my feet reasonably dry for about 1o and a half K and then I got back to my street. The temp had gone up a little while I was running and the small puddles which were easy to avoid at the beginning were now much larger. On top of that, I didn't have the same amount of energy to run around them---just easier to run through them!
   My wife and I arrived back at the house at the same time so I was able to cop a pic of her getting out of the car after her hair appointment. She has a head of long beautiful blond hair and I'm always just a little freaked out that one of these days she'll come back with it all chopped off. Yesterday, though, we were fine and just another reminder of what a lucky man I am!

The HAPPY story!

What? No run-blogging?

   Okay...let's see now...September...October...November. Holy crap, it's been over two months since I did a blog post!!
   Well, where to begin...
   First off, I haven't stopped running. There have been a couple of longer stretches wherein I was recovering from fairly mundane ailments such as colds and the like but, for the most part, I've been getting out there. No amazing distances or anything, just trying to concentrate on doing 5K two or three times a week and maybe throwing in the odd longer run.
   A couple of months ago, I decided to cut back a little on carbs and extra sugars and ended up losing about eight pounds, without really trying. This was quite the revelation for me as it was accomplished with only a minimum of running. Unfortunately, now that I know I can do it, I occasionally choose not to. Where the sense is in this is beyond me---why would you make a discovery like that and then not go full-throttle on it? Who knows?!
   On top of the little bit of running I have been doing, I also ran a race, of all things! A few weekends ago I ran the Halloween Haunting 5K, right here in London. So here's the recap!
   It was a cool-ish and slightly breezy, sunny Sunday morning and the race was being held in Springbank Park, one of the running hubs here in London.

"Gorilla Guy"

   There was a definite Halloween theme and many of the runners wore costumes. At one point, I ran past a guy who was dressed up as a man in a jail cell being "romanced" by a gorilla---highly reminiscent of one of the final scenes from "Trading Places". Extremely ingenious costume!
   I had been trying to decide just how "Halloweeny" to get with this race but in the week leading up to it Canada experienced attacks on its military and Parliament and there was a call out for runners to wear red and/or Canada-themed attire in their races that weekend, so this is what I opted to do.

Pre-race pic. Kinda cool so hands in the pockets!

   The race itself still had kind of a fun atmosphere to it and I was not at all concerned with my time and ended up round about 36 minutes for a 5K. This is (somewhat unfortunately) pretty consistent with most of my times this year.
   After the race, I hung around for awhile to watch some of the 10K runners come in and also wait for the results of the 5K race and the accompanying award ceremony. This was the final race in this year's London Honda Road Race series and, as one of a very small group of runners in my AG (60-65), there is always the possibility of being in the top three and getting a prize.

The back of "The Flash" and a dog
who knows a deer when he sees one!

   So I was standing there, getting colder and colder by the minute (sweat and cool temps are never a good mix), waiting through the results of all the other AGs, when it came my turn. I never come in first so my big hope is that I might snag a second or third. Sure enough, another fellow wins first and then another guy wins second. They are in the middle of announcing third place and I actually start taking a step forward to go up for my prize when they call out someone else's name! Thankfully it was just one small step I took!
   

   Okay, so no prize that day but, in the overall standings for this race series, I did end up third and that meant I won a $50 Runner's Choice gift card! Not too shabby! One of my main running goals is to be a little more competitive in this AG and to be posting much more respectable times in the near future. I've only been running for about three years now whereas my belief is that all of the other guys have been going at it substantially longer. Chances are they've plateaued and I can still get quite a bit better! We'll see!

Thanks goodness for "ALL"!

   At this point, there are no races on the horizon. I am in the middle of trying to decide how much money I want to spend on races---finances are pretty tight and sometimes it just feel pretty hard to justify paying to do something I could do for free on my own. Likely it will boil down to what a race's motivational factor  might be. If knowing there's a race coming up helps make me get out there and train then maybe the odd race is a good thing, expense be damned!

The inviting facade.

   After the race and my non-win, it was time to head for home. Doralyn had dropped me off at the race but had a prior commitment so I had decided to just walk home from there. Fortunately it's only a couple of kilometers from where I live to Springbank Park. When you're wet and headed into a cool breeze, though, stopping along the way for warmth and sustenance always seems like the right thing to do and, fortunately, my route took me right past what I consider to be my "home" Tim's and therein did I stop!

   I only had a loonie ($1, for my American friends) in my pocket so the sustenance comprised only three timbits and not even a coffee. Still quite welcome, though!
    
   
   

One third of my sustenance!

2ND in AG! LAST in AG!

   This past Sunday, I ran in the 5K event of the Springbank Road Races. I believe this was the 47th year for these races , making them the oldest in London. Along with the 5K, there was also a half-marathon and a Kiddie Trot.
   This was a run I had not trained for. A general running funk and some niggling groin/upper hip issues have essentially kept me off the roadways the past while so I had no real intention of running a good race, it just felt kind of good to be out there running with a group of like-minded others.

Milling around before the start of the 5K.

   I also had no true strategy for the race. I had no plan around actually attempting to run the whole thing, no plan around doing run/walk intervals, no plan around pacing, no plan around anything.
   Essentially, what ended up happening was that I ran to keep up with the last third of the runners and I walked whenever I got tired. Which was often.
   It was, though, a wonderful day to run!  Hardly a cloud in the sky and there was the tiniest chill to the air, a precursor to fall, I suppose, and a welcome relief from the heat and humidity we'd been having the previous week. I'd also decided to give my race photographer (Doralyn, my wife) the morning off as the race was an early start and she gets so few opportunities to sleep in that it seemed a shame to waste this one. Hence not a lot of pics!

And more milling around AFTER the 5K.

   So I ran and I walked and I got very, very tired.  There's my re-cap. My time was about what I expected (38.00 on the button) and this landed me 106 out of 113 runners. Frankly, if I'd known I was going to come in that close to last, I'd have been shitting bricks for the last week or so...
   Likely the most remarkable part of the day was the overall camaraderie of all the runners. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits, lots of laughter and high-fives, hugs and cheering. This is pretty hard to beat and part of the reason I sign up for races in the first place (it ain't about my performance!)
   The capper of it all was that I placed second in my age group! And won some Brooks running socks, to boot! Not only did I place second in my AG, I also placed last---to be truthful, ladies and gents, there were only two runners in my AG (60-64) and the other guy beat me. Badly. Like by about 14 minutes! Thank goodness the other couple of guys who normally run in my AG were busy doing the half!
   If nothing else, it got me back into the running mood (mode) and the idea of getting back out there on some kind of regular basis now is, for whatever reason, a lot more appealing! I'm also starting to wonder if the running doldrums I experienced over the summer might also have had something to do with the added heat. Now that the fresher air feels like it's arrived, the urge to get out there and run seems to be re-kindled!

How I Capped Off My Extra-Long Weekend

   Today is Day 4 of my Extra-Long Weekend ( I already have Mondays off so when a long weekend pops up they give me the Tuesday as well) and my plan was to have a little breaky this morning, go for a run, and then meet my son, Bryant, later on for some driving.
   Well, I had the breaky and was leisurely wandering around, collecting my run stuff from laundry baskets when, all of the sudden, it started to pour. And thunder. And lightning. So the running was temporarily put on hold.
   This gave me the opportunity to re-wash a load of clothes and cook up some granola.
   Re-washing the clothes was necessary as I believe some young lad already washed them and then took them out of the dryer and then left them in a heap in the laundry basket. Which meant that the following day (today) everything was wrinkled. No big deal.
   Doralyn's everyday breaky consists of yogourt with Holy Crap (google it), granola, and fruit. She had one more serving of granola left and seeing as how it was raining and I had to do a load of laundry anyway, why not cook granola? So I did! Here's the "prep" pic!

The stuff you need...

...to make this!

   After I finished making the granola, out came the sunshine! I re-found all my running stuff and headed out on the same 5K run I did the last time. Basically I run one big square, encompassing several blocks, in my neighbourhood. This neatly takes 5

Yay for dry streets!

kilometers. The street I live on forms one side of the box and it is a long street which slopes gently upward until it gets near the end, at which point it slopes steeply upward. Because I live halfway up the street, the real steep section is the first one I encounter. It's actually kind of nice to get it out of the way when you're at your most rested. Psychologically, but not actually, the rest of the way seems downhill.
   A little over half a kilometer into the run, Doralyn called me. I'd neglected to text her that I was headed out on a run otherwise she wouldn't have called me but I was happy enough to walk and talk briefly.
   The rest of the run went pretty well and not quite as much need for walking as when I was out last. I also ended up running it about a minute faster, once I factored in the telephone conversation so all is well. At this point I've been out running three days out of the last four and the one day I didn't run I was busy doing yardwork. Just have to keep at it!
   After the run, it was time to make meatloaf! The plan was I make the meatloaf and leave it for Doralyn who then sticks it in the oven later on at the designated time and temperature so that it's ready to go when I get back from driving with Bry. The plan went off more or less (we ate late) without a hitch. And this is what the meatloaf looked like!

I also made the other half--you'll
just have to take my word for it!

   Bryant and I did some driving around and some errands and by the time I got home it was almost dinner. Tomorrow it's back to work but my extra-long weekend means only a three-day workweek for me and that ain't tough to take! To top it all off, in about ten days, I've got two weeks of vacation! And lots of running!
   



     

     

Mr. Yasso, The Joke's On ME!

      I ran yesterday but felt like I wanted to get up off my butt (as people have been suggesting) and run again today. But I wanted to do something different.
   For a while now, I have been reading and hearing about how runners incorporate Yasso 800s into their training plans. These training sessions are named after Bart Yasso, running guru and CRO of Runner's World magazine. The man is a bit of a legend in the running community.
   What Yasso 800s involve is running 800 meter timed intervals, generally on a track, with timed rest periods in between. The rest periods should be about the same length of time as it takes you to run the 800 meters.
   This training method is primarily used by marathoners and it's Yasso's theory that your interval time should pretty closely correlate, by extrapolation, to your marathon time. As an example, if you found you could run an average interval of 3:30, then your marathon time would be close to 3 hours and 30 minutes.
   Now, I have never run track at any age, so I have absolutely no past experience as to what's fast and what's not, for amateur runners. What I have seen a lot of, though, is running bloggers saying they've run 800 intervals in around the afore-mentioned 3:30.
   When I read this I went what?? it took them a whole three minutes and thirty seconds to run around a piddly little football field twice?? No way! I could do it way faster!
   Are you giggling yet?
   So today, because I wanted to do something different, I headed out to my high school alma mater, Oakridge Secondary, to run Yasso 800s.
   I was really hoping to have the track to myself and such was the case when I arrived. I set my stuff down right at midfield, took a sip of water and off I went.
   Well, round about the time I hit the first turn I realized what a total miscalculation I'd made!

Starting line, right at the 55-yard line

   Thinking I was just going to breeze around this track, I immediately started off in (somewhat) high gear and knew by the first turn that I was done for, particularly at that speed. I dialed it way down the rest of the way and, gasping at the end, discovered I'd done my first ever Yasso 800 in the awesome time of 5:friggin 11! I'm sure the whooshing sound I heard just about then was the universe settling back into place and Brian gaining knowledge!
   I walked around for a few minutes, gaining my breath and enjoying that holy crap feeling of discovery. My original plan was to have run five of these intervals. The way I felt after the first one made me unsure as to whether I'd be able to run another one!
   When I thought I could breathe again, I set off on the second one, dialed down right from the beginning. Without the preliminary burst from the first one, the second one came in at 5:23. At the end of the second, I was pretty sure I only had one left.

The "sort of" track.

   I set off for the last time, this time paying a little more attention to my watch. Coming around the last bend, I saw that I had an opportunity to beat the previous interval and, knowing it was last interval of the day, I kicked it up a notch. Managed to come in at 5:17. Hooray, a negative friggin split!
   So, needless to say, I have new-found respect for anyone who can run a Yasso 800 in 3:30. Actually, I have new-found respect for anyone who can run a Yasso 800 period.

Sad high jump pits.

   About the only saving grace to the morning was that fact that I was back on the playing field of my high school days. It was pretty easy to look around the football field and recount past glories and failures, junior football adventures, phys ed classes, cross-country and yay for cheerleaders! It was also the first time I'd really been there in slightly over 40 years. Memories running rampant and all that. 
   On the way to the track I passed another and much newer high school track. It was tempting to stop there but my old school was just another minute of the road and, besides, it was a Catholic track and I'm not Catholic. Or anything for that matter. It is kind of embarrassing, though, that they have an

Ah, the good old days...

actual track and  Oakridge has, well... a gravel road that goes around in circles (see pic) Even the long jump pits are kinda pathetic (once again, see pic).
   If nothing else, I got out today for a tiring, heart-elevating run. It was also a change of pace, which is never a bad thing. On top of all that, I now have a bit of a Yasso baseline for the future. Oh, and by the results I guess I'm running a marathon in about 5 hours and 15 minutes! Oddly, about what I would have predicted!

How I Got To Where I Am This Very Minute

   I ran today for the first time in a long time. It's been so long that I can't actually remember when the last time was. I suppose I could dig out the Garmin and check back but the fact of the matter is that it's not coming to me right now.
   I should be able to go oh, yeah, I ran yesterday and that was a hard one or maybe even enjoyed the rest day after that long run on Tuesday but none of that is coming to me.
   I did go for a 10K walk last weekend and that was quite the workout but, prior to that, I don't remember any runs.
   What this all means, of course, is that I'm not running enough. And there's been no cross-training in the interim, either. If that's not bad enough, I've more or less abandoned my gluten-free lifestyle, giving me more access to more carbs more often. All of the above has simply been a recipe for disaster, of course, and my body's showing it.
   Last night, I had a perfectly good chicken dinner with fresh veggies. It filled me adequately but then, as I was passing through the kitchen, I noticed a cooked turkey burger sitting, unwanted, in a frying pan on the stove. It looked lonely so I ate it. And then felt awful afterwards.
   So now we can add "poor choices" to everything I've already told you about and you get a pretty good idea of the dire straits I'm in!
   

How to take a sidewalk and
turn it into a trail run. From
my run today.

Earlier on today, I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror (should they be outlawed?) and asked myself if it would be appropriate to do a "selfie", without my shirt on. Ostensibly, it would be the "before" pic and at some point (later and about twenty pounds less) I would post the "after" pic. Then I thought to myself but what if there's no "after" pic to show people. The "before" pic would simply become "the pic" and would just fester there in cyber space. My boobs also rival many women's and I understand there are obscenity guidelines....so no selfies today. You're welcome!

You lucky bastards!

   I ran 5K today in around 40 minutes, about as bad as it's been. My goal is eventually to get under 30. Last summer, I was running around 34 and 30 seemed reachable. Today, a sub-30 5K seems way, WAY off.
   But no big deal; because I can walk, it doesn't matter so much how the running's going and I know way too many people who can't walk. As far as tomorrow goes, I can certainly get out and run again---nothing can really stop me and, if I choose not to run, I can go to the gym and if I choose not go to the gym I can go for a long walk or if I choose not to do any of these things then I can sit here and soak in the world somehow!

My 10K Walk Huge Photo Dump!

   My plan had been to run 5K today but I spent the day yesterday doing yardwork and it felt like every bone in my body ached today. The thought of jarring those same bones around by running was pretty intolerable.
   What I thought I could manage, however, was a long walk. As a bit of a trade-off, I figured that a 10K walk might take the the place if a 5K run, workout-wise. And it does, right...?

   So, because I was walking, I thought I would take some pics along the way. Anything that looked pic-worthy was fodder for my phone camera so there are a lot of pics, couple with my sometimes-whimsical commentary! On the plus side, you don't have to sit there and listen to me ramble on! So here we go!

My street. I love the trees!

Commissioners Road. Busy street but still lots of greenery.

Commissioners and Oxford. A busy intersection and I am on the wrong side of the street!

The McCormick Home, one of the best places for seniors in London. How
convenient, I won't even have to leave my neighbourhood!

Where the rich people live---I'm not even sure I'm allowed to be in the general area...

The Oxford Street extension bridge. It's all downhill, that's why I want to run it so bad!

This pic is a little out of order, it's the pond just before the bridge.

View of the Thames River, from the bridge. All sorts of
visions of my phone falling over the railing!

Had to make a choice here! Which path do you think I picked?! 

Sad part of the walk. A couple of months ago, a 19-year-old girl was killed
here in an early-morning accident. I drive by this every day.....

The VERY nondescript  entrance to the London Hunt and Country Club,
home of several high-profile gold tournaments. You need to be
very careful how you pronounce it....

The track at St. Thomas Aquinas high school. I kind of lust after it.

This was about halfway and I'd forgotten fuel. Thank goodness for the corner drugstore!

Used to live here!

Construction work. Because this is summer. In London.

Riverside Drive, one of the most scenic roadways in London.

Hmmmm...I wonder what goes on in there?

I started singing "Follow The Yellow Mark Road". In my head, though.

But don't follow it TOO closely or you'll get smucked by a car.

I love junk pics. Should have done this one in black and white

Obviously some lazy bastards around.

I don't remember being here! (but maybe that's because of the alcohol...)

The bridge into Byron, where I live. Byron used to be a small village
but then it got annexed by London. Great place to live!

Another view of the river, from the Byron bridge.

The sign, announcing I'm home! Well, apart from the kilometer and a half I still had to walk...

Did I mention it was summer? In London?

   So there you have it, thank you for viewing my huge dump! (giggle)
   Hopefully, the next time around, I'll actually have some running to tell you about!

So did you pick the correct path I took in Pic #9?
Leave your choice in a comment and I'll let you know!