After the achievement of the 10k on Saturday, I planned to do some other stuff this week, starting with an easy 5k recovery run today.
The trouble was, I'd been itching to have a go at the C25K+ speed podcast, so I listened to it yesterday to get a gist of what it entailed. The slow pace is 150, and the faster 1 minute intervals are 165. I usually run at around 175-177 (probably due to short legs!), so wasn't sure it would help do anything except pace me a bit better, but today I gave it a go. I struggled to run at 150 because the outward run is always uphill, and slowing down makes me think I've not got enough momentum to keep going. So I ran at my usual pace. When the Laura said to speed up to 165, I found I was already pacing faster than that, so I slowed down a bit. Aware that I'd slowed down I then sped up a bit. π I just couldn't do it.
As well as that...
...It was about 12 degrees outside, which for me is t-shirt temperature, but because it was drizzling and grey, I wore a long sleeved top. The result? I was way too hot!
Strava says I achieved a personal best or two in the first half of the run...most definitely not right for a recovery run.
I didn't have my happy music playing, I had a flu jab on Saturday (apparently this can make one sluggish), I was a bit grumpy and the tarmac was just slightly the wrong shade of grey...basically, I could have done better.
I need to learn to run slowly without thinking I won't get up the next hill. But the advice I've found for hills is to keep a good, steady cadence, not to slow it down but instead shorten each stride. And it works! So to work on speed do I have to find a flat bit, or downhill bit, and work on my length of stride? I've no idea.
All in all, I am useless at recovery runs, and that one was really hard work!