Decided to change things up a bit - went to the woods instead of the usual park route and I'm thinking of solely using the new shoes this week, just to break them up a bit. Pace a bit higher than usual - maybe it's the route, maybe the sudden urge to visit the loo... 😅 #running #pigtailpower

Was tempted to go for a long run as usual, but you know what? It's taper week! I guess I'm gonna listen to the recommended sessions over the next few outings. Was a pleasant run, just standard 4 loops round the park, plenty of runners around. Good weather is coming! #running #pigtailpower

Everton Park (Everton Brow) always provides lovely views of Liverpool and beyond, even in gray weather. Plenty to see, from skyscrapers to the new Everton stadium. The catalyst for the long walk was my wife and her Argos order - picked it up as well as the lasagne for a really late lunch. #walking

There's this game I picked up recently - you're a freshly deceased guy with amnesia and by being a ghost, you can manipulate objects and rewind time, altering people's fate as you try to get to the bottom of your demise... Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is really fun! #ghosttrick #steamdeck #games

Went out wearing a t-shirt and shorts after realising that "hey, it's not 10+ degrees anymore" 😅 But then... decided to still give it a go. Wasn't bad! Maybe a tiny bit nippy, but it was a refreshing run. Happy to go below 5:40/k and still maintain a base HR! Good work. #running #pigtailpower

These are the games that are very important to me. They are etched in my gaming DNA, shaping who I've become over the years, gaming-wise. my9games.com

Threshold run today! Wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, but still doable, with a steady pace. Tested out the new shoes for the first time - there's less softness, but they feel really light. No issues with the fit. Gonna be great to run a fast 10K in them. #running #pigtailpower

I have a love/hate relationship with Rogue Legacy, so... wanted to play something different. But I'll still keep it on the SSD. Always wanted to be a corpse detective that can posess things with his soul to alter the outcomes and avert fates... seems like a cool game! #ghosttrick #steamdeck

Kinda repeat from yesterday, but shorter and a bit faster - HR wasn't amazing this time, but it behaved well. Felt great to be running loops in the full sun, a slight breeze and plenty of room to just unwind. Enjoyed a homemade chicken wrap afterwards, it was delish! #running #pigtailpower

Wow, that's a nice surprise! Got myself to the Excellent vo2max range in Garmin for the very first time! I've been on the verge a few times, but never went over. Finally! Also had a very early run, just woke up, got ready and went out the door. That's how it's supposed to be! #running #pigtailpower

Installed and played Rogue Legacy for an hour. Forgot how fun it is to play (a lot). Forgot how much I suck at it (even more). Not sure if I'm gonna continue putting hours away into it, but playing it on a Steam Deck is a nice upgrade from the PS Vita. #gaming #roguelegacy #steamdeck

Watching stuff like this really works my imagination and motivation: not for a Barkley, of course (or an ultra), but to just make a lofty goal, a really long run and just go for it. Smash some records. Push the boundaries. Those ladies... not many boundaries exist for them! #running #ultrarunning

Today's long run was 16K of exploring around the Loop Line, especially around West Derby. The weather was pleasant, felt good, had 2 gels with me, used them, enjoyed the plod. Plenty of people around on bikes, with kids, with dogs (not on bikes, sadly), just enjoying the upcoming spring. #running

Some lighter running after yesterday's threshold. Just realised that I haven't done much walking this week, so I'm tempted to rack up some steps over the next few days. Garmin badges are a serious game! 😉 #running #pigtailpower

New shoes day! Wanted a second pair to compliment the Novablast 5, something light and ideally for fast 5/10K efforts. Chose Asics Noosa Tri 15 after seeing amazing reviews and an encouraging opinion from a close friend. Will test them probably next week. Coolest kid on the block, eh? 😅 #running

Threshold session in the park, no rain yet so I'm happy. Was able to have a proper push, felt good. Overheard a convo between a guy and a small kid. "So in this game, the humans are called the UNSC..." Wow, somebody's introduced to Halo at a young age 😄 #running #pigtailpower

Have you ever wondered how FAR could you run in 6 hours? The Random Runner (Paul Manson) goes to the Trailspire Ultra event, where runners have laps on laps of varied terrain to experience and some personal boundaries to push! #running #ultrarunning

Earliest run in a while! Wanted to concentrate a bit more on the cadence, so it came slightly slower than usual, but still a base effort, so I'm satisfied. Someone scraped their car against a roadside skip while I was in the park, can't say I envy them 😅 #running #pigtailpower

Base morning run done, good weather, albeit a bit windy in the park. Still, happy to have it done and dusted, cherry on top was Garmin putting this effort into the Base bracket. As it should be be! 😅 #running #pigtailpower

Lovely day today! The sun makes such a difference when it comes out and the rain is nowhere to be seen. Went south in search of #squadrats, got 18 new ones. Went through a movie set (well, Yorkaster Rd was closed to cars and plenty of trailers), saw some carmelite sisters... Great run! #running

Got myself a new toy! Kinda fueled by the recent rumours of being unavailable, FOMO did its thing - but I finally have one! Can't wait to play all manner of indie games on it, already have a few that will be used instantly! 😁 #SteamDeck

Woke up and went out in less than 30 minutes, which is a success. Had a good Base run overall, bit of rain throughout, but nothing major or bothersome. Now a little birdie tells me I have a delivery to expect today... It's quite exciting, can't wait to share some pics! #running #pigtailpower

Hard session today, thought it was gonna be a bit manageable, but still was done! 3x 7 min at threshold pace, second threshold run of the week - increasing the volume at its best. You see that slight bump on the left straight? Had to dip into a muddy path to avoid a huge puddle! #running

Day off running, so why not tell you what I'm playing at the moment ;) It's Cat Quest II (PS4) - after finishing the first one, the second game is pretty similar, but they've added co-op - invited my wife and she's enjoying it (the berserk spell even a bit too much, maybe, but I'm healing!) #games

Another lunch run, woo! Decided to avoid the frosty morning and get some sunshine instead - well worth it! 15 minutes at threshold pace, wasn't too hard, felt strong. Breathing wasn't getting significantly harder, so that's a plus. Really enjoyed this one. #running #pigtailpower

Today was a combo of unusual running: recovery pace at lunchtime in a windy park. I guess having over 20km yesterday (run +walking) made Garmin a bit worried and it decided to pump my breaks for today. But no worries, I'm still in the Productive zone! #running #pigtailpower

Got bamboozled today - it rained really heavy for a while, so I thought it's gonna be a rainy session, so I took a waterproof jacket and went outside. It barely drizzled. For 5 minutes. Still, 15K done, new #squadrats added, now to eat and recover before playing board games! #running #pigtailpower

Had a really long walk with my wife - we got some chocolate croissants from Sainsbury's, so I guess that kinda counts as Valentine day celebrations? Anyway, really enjoyed it. Woolton and Gateacre are nice neighbourhoods, well worth a visit. Now to rest and enjoy the rest of the day 😎

Really enjoying #howtogettoheavenfrombelfast on #Netflix. The writing is top notch, the camera work is amazing and the story's really intriguing. No wonder it's currently No. 1 watched show on the platform. Well worth it! Guess that's my weekend watch sorted.

Morning was rainy, so I took a bit of a gamble and decided to have a go after work. Felt good, the creamy mushroom chicken wasn't a problem, sat nicely in my stomach, allowing me to do four loops around the park. Peak phase starts from today! Only a month to go. #running #pigtailpower

Wishing only the tastiest pączki to all celebrating Fat Thursday (Tłusty Czwartek). My lovely wife just brought some from the Polish store (selection of fillings - rose, chocolate, twaróg (quark or farmer's cheese) and advocaat). Smacznego! #fatthursday #tlustyczwartek

Happy there was no rain! Today I finally got my faster session of the week, which was 15 min at 4:35/k pace. Comfortably hard, I'd say? In about a month I'd like to run like this for 45 minutes... It's gonna be a proper effort when I will get to it! #running #pigtailpower

I know what is the issue with me and getting out early - it's the bloody phone! Today's Wordle took me a bit, then I was checking news, game forums... Enough! Won't touch it before I go out running. Base today instead of the promised Threshold, felt good, legs were moving. #running #pigtailpower

Was a bit lazy this morning, started to consider postponing the run, but... I just got up from bed. Prepared myself, got the shoes, keys and went outside. Easy. Nothing significant happened, but I'm happy that this one got added to the Base efforts pool. Threshold tomorrow! #running #pigtailpower

Had a pleasant 15K run down towards the Mersey, visiting Aigburth and Cressington - not much for views, but I still managed to snap some shots round the course. Now it's time to decompress and enjoy the rest of the day - will probably watch Netflix and play Cat Quest 🐱 #running #pigtailpower

Before I go out on my long run, I wanted to give Connor Rogers a shout - he's a small YTber, but mighty fast! He's getting prepared for the Armagh 5K, where "blistering pace" is the name of the game. So if you want to see how one of the speedy boys trains - here's a good chance! #running #armagh5k

Been watching #badlyinlove on #Netflix and I've got mixed feelings about it. The premise of the show is taking JPN delinquents and try to pair them up over two weeks. I mainly feel for those peeps, their tough life stories, mental problems etc. but show must go on. Weird vibes, but interesting.

Running alone is not gonna make it, so I've decided to step it up a notch and add some upper-body exercises to my routine, at least for February! 2000 push-ups in 23 days is a lot, trying to approach it strategically or I will blow up for sure! #thepushupchallenge #samaritans

I've done more in Poland! Every time I go there, there's an opportunity to see something new, whether it's on the coast, in the mountains or among the less-visited lakes and forests. Also using a bike to get around helps! Will visit the country for Easter, can't wait! #squadrats #poland #explore

Looking at my Squadrats map... haven't travelled much, right? Been to the south of England way before Strava was a thing (Endomondo was still doing its thing). Need to change it this year. Got a few places to visit, for sure... #squadrats #britain #explore

Bit of a drizzle today, so the waterproof jacket was used. Every time I get to go outside in this kind of weather and not delaying the inevitable for later is a small win - job's done, laziness squashed. Felt good today, the pace got a bit faster but still around base effort #running #pigtailpower

Every once in a while a session like today's will happen. It might've been windy, cold-ish, but the legs and lungs worked today almost effortlessly - was it because I tried to keep the threshold segments close to the target? Maybe... I'll keep doing that next time too! #running #pigtailpower

I kinda fell off the gaming wagon recently, just not willing to invest my time into anything... but this game came through at the right time! It's called Cat Quest, done by The Gentlebros and is a rather simple, but very charming aRPG. Easy to pick up and grind the hours away! #games #catquest

Anaerobic training, so... 😛 Did all the rest periods as walking, but I guess there was enough plodding (25 minutes) to not make this training a purple one. Well, it only shows I really should be considering running slower overall to build that engine up. Got close, though! #running #pigtailpower

Something felt off today. Maybe it's because it was a late session, maybe because I made it shorter after realising my HR belt is still at home and the training readiness shown -6 on the score 😅 Anyway, recovery done, Garmin asked only for 19 mins, so I almost obliged. #running #pigtailpower

Today's 16K long run had everything - views, stairs, uphills and downhills. Went to explore Dingle & Brunswick a bit, it's unusual to be perched on a cliff like some houses are. The gradient at places is definitely significant! Did a full training week, happy with that! #running #pigtailpower

Yesterday was hard, so let's go a little bit slower this time. I completely gave the training reins to the Garmin algorithm, curious how it's gonna go. Decided to skip the usual park lapping today and instead went close round my neighbourhood. Pleasant plod. #running #pigtailpower

Last hard session of the week - 3x 7 min at threshold pace. I have to admit it pushed me a bit, the recovery bits were fully utilised 😅 There's more sunlight in the morning, or would be, if it wasn't for the cloud coverage. Better days are coming soon! #running #pigtailpower

Wednesday and Saturday are off days for me, so I've decided to make those "gym" days aka grab the dumbbells and do anything :D Wanted to put some emphasis on my arms, because they always felt inferior and neglected. Seems like 4 sets of these is perfect, getting a tiny tremble in the end.

Set up a race effort 10K on March 15th - can Garmin get me to sub-45 in 6 weeks? Time will tell! All suggested training sessions are adjusted, so I'm happy to increase the pace over the next few weeks. Didn't feel like paying for a race, gonna use the Loop Line instead. #running #pigtailpower