Missed a run this week, which always puts me off kilter as I then try to fit it in which means overlapping a gym day. I didn't manage it though so was fairly glum with myself when it came time to run tonight, I wanted to do a long run as I really have fallen off the long running wagon of late and would like to start building it up again but come 8pm it was still 20c and I found the demons trying there damnedest to stop me going.
But on went the new decathlon running grundies (bit neat - more like a cycling short) maybe order a size up, on went the visor and on went the fanny pack with phone for emergency breakdown cover. I so often run with no phone but really need to break the habit, even if it means running with the pack.. looking bit of a fanny as we used to say as kids in Scotland many moons ago 
I checked out the shoe carousel and selected the cloud flyers as the tool of choice for tonight, and with music on, off I plodded.
I tried to keep it easy, very conscious of the heat, but the first 1k came in at 5:50, I have decided that trying to run at a slower pace(6:30) to help me go longer just isn't working for me at the moment and I just need to accept a new gear and get on with it. The second click came in at 5:40, so we were off.. despite the heat, I had got a whiff of a goal.
At 4k that whiff turned into the fetid stench of a long reposed badger, who I couldn't even begin to pretend was just sleeping off the night before as his ribs were showing and he had a big stink on, so gagging I ran past faster on my way to st ives. I am yet to meet a man with seven wives on the way to st ives, but if I did I probably would not have had the time to admire his seven cats as I was on a mission, so turned after the bridge over the ouse and started back. Again I found pace past the glorious dead, and did my best to not breathe too much on the way through, but now I was flagging a little with so far to go. So correct my form and slow just a tad I tried and was glad that my visor was absorbing the worst of the sweat on my brow.
Come 9k it was now clear this was something worth the effort and I just had to hold it together across the line, and cross it I did with such a sweet time. I had not known how much I wanted to run 10k in under an hour, but I feel very proud of myself now for having achieved it. I can now resume plodding around again for a while Probably best taking it easy as garmin said the heart rate hit 201 and I had tried very hard, shame it still thinks my VO2 max is so sucky, but I didn't even know my heart went that high!
p.s. the decathlon grundies worked well. Despite not having much room to manoeuvre, they kept things a bit cooler and drier than the traditional cotton shorts.
The slow one!
August 10k among the vines
