dannewton just finished a 22.13km run, that lasted for 138 minutes.
This run helped dannewton burn 1776.0 calories.
Description from Strava: Another Saturday, and you know what that means by now... time for the standard weekend long run. I'm mindful of the fact that I will be lining up on the start line for the Marathon in 3 weeks, and hence todays long run will 'only' be 22km or in other words, just half of the Marathon distance.
I'm also mindful of the fact that I haven't used my new running backpack/vest thing yet, so its definitely time for a test run so I can check it out properly
I decided it was worth bringing everything that I would be required to carry on race day:
Hat and gloves
Waterproof coat
Minimum of 500 ml water to be carried
Headtorch/Torch
Whistle
As extras I also have a first aid kit (mostly full of plasters), and an emergency blanket thing. And then lastly I included a thin running jacket, which will be used as a second layer if its chilly on the day.
There's quite a lot of stuff...
...but I was surprised to see how easy it all fitted into the backpack. Also included, but not pictured, is the Camelbak Hydration pouch which I pinched from my other bag and attached to this one. You can just make out the blue tube on the the right hand side, so I can drink while on the move.
I weighed it, and the whole thing comes to 2kg. That includes the litre of water, so all things considered that's reasonably lightweight I reckon. When I put it on and took a few steps, I could feel the water pouch shifting around in the bag, which was easily remedied by pulling those stretchy red drawstrings tighter.
It felt pretty comfortable, so without further ado, I laced up my shoes and headed straight outside
One of the good bits about this new bag is there are lots of pockets on the straps themselves, so I was able to fit my phone in the front pocket, and that meant it was closer to hand if I needed it.
usually its buried in at the bottom of the backpack
So for a change I can actually show you pictures of where I ran today. If you hadn't guessed by now I am doing the standard route through town and then back along the bypass. I've run this route a number of times now and thought it would be an easy option while I get the hang of the new backpack.
Here is Tritton Road, which is the part of Lincoln where all the 'big' shops are located (Morrisons, Currys, PC World, Next, Asda Living etc etc).
Next up was a roundabout (which involved having to wait ages for the lights to change). On the left is Student accommodation, and just on the right is one of the buildings for Lincoln University.
After this long and smooth path, it was time to cut through town... it was approaching 12:00 at this point, and it was starting to get busy in places, so I had to weave in and out of oblivious pedestrians.
By this point I had already forgotten that I actually had a new bag on at all. It felt so comfortable... no chaffing, no shifting around... just working as it should.
Perfect!
This meant I could concentrate on running, and on taking more pictures!
Next up was Monks Road, which is a long and slightly boring street on the east side of town.
hopefully when I do the Marathon on the Coast in 3 weeks, the pictures will be a bit more interesting!
After Monks Road, I cut back alongside Greetwell Road, where I work, and then I ran out along Wragby Road (pictured) which is a nicer part of town (Monks Road has a bit of a reputation shall we say!)
And then I hit the bypass which features a nice long smooth path, and I do enjoy running along it.
It is also often nice and quiet apart from the odd cyclist!
At this point I decided to take my jacket off.
By the way, in the image below is 2 coats: a thin red running jacket, and a Navy Blue waterproof coat (which is still packed in that square blue pouch)
I had started the run with the red jacket on, as it was cool outside, but by the time I reached the bypass I was starting to warm up. I wasn't uncomfortably warm, but I decided it was a chance to see if I could fit the jacket inside the bag with all the other stuff...
And I was delighted to find that it fitted in easily, helped by an adjustment of those red drawstrings on the bag. The bag still felt comfortable to wear as well, so all loaded up I continued the rest of the run home
And a bonus shot, I ran past the bridge which I have used to join the Water Railway (something I have mentioned in previous posts). I really do like the fact that I have the phone more available now, there's gonna be lots of photo opportunities!
And there we have it. Home in approx 2hours and 15 minutes. It wasn't quick but the aim was for something long and comfortable, and I was pleased with how well the bag performed.
The last thing to check is to wear the waterproof coat on a run, and the weather for the coming week appears to be very VERY wet indeed, so I'm sure I'll have ample opportunity to test it out
keep your eyes open for a very soggy coat review to appear in the next few days!
If you would like to check out this activity on strava you can see it here:
https://www.strava.com/activities/8658179472
About the Athlete: Living in the UK, I am an intermittent Runner, but always striving for more consistency. When I'm not training I can be found photographing insects or listening to really loud angry music (which is the best type of music obviously!)
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