Weekly Running Update - A couple of short runs around Covilha

My prompt exit from the UK meant I had eight day's off running, which isn't necessarily a bad thing once in a while, it allows many of those little strains and niggles to heal up properly, and I must say that now I'm back to it I haven't even noticed my groin strain from back in spring, whereas I had begun to feel it again in early September back in Hereford.

I went out for two runs around Covilha, Portugal this week, one on Saturday and the other just now.

It's been around 12 degrees at 7.30 a.m just as the sun is rising the last few days, consistently, and it gets up to early to mid 20s by midday, so an early ish morning run is defo the strategy for mid autumn in this part of the world.

Just two short 5KM runs. The first was always going to be short - after 8 days off. I had planned to make the second a little longer but I got totally disoriented (rather than lost) and it kind of sapped my will so I just stuck with another 5k, which is fine by me!

I track most of my runs with Garmin, which auto uploads to Strava.

Weekly running summary:

• Total kilometres this week: 10
• No. of runs:

Saturday's Run: 5K Explore Run

I really just headed out for an explore. Did a quick warm up downhill towards this crazy looking bridge thing and used it as my starting point:

It turned in to a kind of modified out and back with an attempted loop which turned into an out and back when I realised I had no idea how far the road I was on was going to carry on for, and I wasn't sure whether it was actually going to loop back!

100 metres of elevation gain in 5K, so that's a 2 percent gradient on average, quite pleased with that.

Monday's Run: 5K Disorienting Run

What I mean by getting disoriented rather than lost is this: I'd set off the same route as Monday, with Google maps running, thinking I was heading out around a certain part of the city, aiming for a long 6-8K loopy loop.

I basically thought I was going North East and then looping back North West, turns out I was going North.

After a couple of Ks I seemed to divert from my planned major road onto lots of little side cobbled side streets (at least they were relatively traffic free), and very shortly there after everything started to look VERY familiar and I ended up right back outside my AirBnB which really isn't where I was expecting to be!

Anyway, rather than stopped I just picked another road, up and kept on going up and up and up, for about another kilometre, then turned back, not really knowing where in the city I was (but knowing it was one of the posher bits for sure, up with the views), and ended up having a bit of a crap run home because I'd had enough so took a few stairs as short cuts, and going down stairs doesn't make for good running.

Anyway, I know the city much better now!

I did stop to take this nice view picture:

177 metres elevation gain in 5Ks, no wonder I wasn't up for my run home!

Not used to these hills!

Next week's plans

I'll be out in the country next week, so it should be easy to drive out, park up and find some really pleasant trail runs!

I hadn't anticipated it being such a nice environment/ climate for running in around here, it's a real bonus. October in the UK is when you have to start motivating yourself to get outside as a runner because the weather can be a bit grim, but here you get all the nice autumn hazy mistiness without any of the cold dampness, it's great!