Last Thursday I did an interval session and did between 3.5 and 4k, then I did the Parkrun on Saturday, and Tuesday this week my running buddy couldn't make it. We've been following a guided app towards 10k which seems to think we are more accomplished runners, in terms of speed, than we actually are TBH.
So, I was in a quandry on Tuesday. The app called for a 20 minute 'study run'. On Juju's Magic 10 I'm accidentally on about week 3 and could fit in a 7k run for the first time ever. But I was running out of time to decide.
It was humid and still warm. A quick check of possible routes on Google maps: 20 minutes over the motorway and back again, zzzzzz, or go downhill to where the park run is, do a a circuit around the lake to half-way, and head home (all incline) until the watch buzzed.... winner!
So I embraced the inner snail, set out with new bluetooth earbuds (that were dumped within the first 200m because the controls were on one side and kept swinging about) and went out to see if I could keep going.
So a couple of things that I was really happy with - I did keep going (for all 59 minutes - see the photo and spot the uphill bits🤣!!!). Even though I felt like walking at 6km, or finishing the run going downhill again in the park, then walking home! And my breathing was not at all laboured until I got to 5km - even though I was going downhill for the first 3km - it was still a surprise to me. I also used my elbows more in a backwards motion to help me keep my torso up and remembered a lot of advice on here about form and core.
New surprises to consider in future: upper back muscles and left shoulder were really fatigued - I put that down to spending the day at the desk on the computer, more than elbow swinging while running. After 5km I had to really work hard to keep my form and if I dropped the odd stride I could feel a hip pull, or a knee niggle twinge. Fatigue is definitely worth me watching out for. I had a bit of the 'keep going despite it all' happening and could easily have done myself a mischief (slapping my own wrist). I'm going to make my next long run on a bit more undulating terrain, back at the park, so it's not all downhill then all uphill. Lesson learned.
Wednesday I just walked the dog and swam and the legs were absolutely fine - no pain at all - thank goodness!
Last night, intervals session with my buddy. 40 minutes including 'fast run'/'jog' 2 minute each, three sets in the middle of the session, steady run there and back and a bit of deliberate walk at the end, covered 5k easily, really pleased with recovery too. I discovered that when I lifted my knees during the 'fast run' it relieved some fatigue from the calves and hamstrings. Although I was gasping at the end of the 2 min sets my legs were better for it! So if I start to get fatigue during my snail pace, going faster might actually be helpful?!
But also this morning, my non-running swimming buddy posted that she's started doing 'a bit of jogging', just a few seconds in her field. Awesome!!!
Tomorrow I am on barcode scanning at Parkrun and I might do the 8k of the week beforehand. Have a happy bank holiday those in England/Wales, and a good weekend everyone else 
3rd run of the week.....
Mammogram run!!
Magic 10, week 1, run 2
