After some thought, I decided to use the canal that runs fairly close (about 5 mins in the car) for my final run of the second week in my 10k plan. I used google maps' distance measure feature to check I had enough canal to use up in the 35 minutes of running I had today (more than enough). I did think it was 45 minutes, but alas it was 35 + 10 brisk walking.
If you're unfamiliar with this option when in Google Maps, right-click anywhere on the map and pick 'measure distance' which should be at the bottom of a short list of options. Then you simply click from point to point and it will tell you how far that is.
I took the above picture a few minutes into my brisk walk before the run. They (the small ones anyway) looked very cute. Maybe not quite as cute as the cygnets looked last week, but adorable none-the-less. I just learned that baby Geese are called Goslings and a group of Geese are called a 'Gaggle'.
My stats (Km - pace per km):
1 - 5.48π
2 - 5.41π
3 - 5.35π
4 - 5.52π
5 - 5.34π
6 - 5:16 ππ¨
6.22 - 5:22π
In summary in the 34:59 of (slow and steady) running my app recorded I ran a total distance of 6.22km at an average pace of 5:37. I'm very happy with that, especially because my fastest km was 5-6. When I worked out that I'd got about 5 mins left I tried to speed up a bit. I'm thinking if at week 2 I'm managing over 6k in 35 mins, running 10k in under 60 shouldn't be as tricky as I thought it might be πππ
I really enjoyed running along the (mostly flat) canal and am sure I'll do it again. It's pretty handy just running in one direction until my app says I'm halfway and then turning around and running back.
I left the canal at the wrong point which meant my walk back to the car was much nearer 20 minutes than 5, but I was brisk walking all the way and stretched when I reached my car, and I feel very hunky dory now.
I do love starting the day having already done over 10k steps by 08:00!
So yeah this run was fab. I'm feeling even better because I stopped over in Caerphilly, Wales at an old friend's house the night before last, who's told me AFTER I left (why do young women (at least in my experience) do that π’) that she wants to see me again, but next time for a date.
I hope you and your loved ones are well, and that you're still enjoying your running as much as I am. Thanks for your time π
Mike