I have been procrastinating a bit lately, I’m on week 4 of the Magic Plan ( again) and went out to do my 4k run on Friday last and found my self doing 5k instead. That was fine then I decided Sunday would be a good quiet day to do the 8k..... and ended up cutting it short at 4k due to tummy issues and hurrying home so Tuesday was going to be my 8k run and I must confess I have been bricking it. I’ve just not felt like running much further than 5 lately. My breathing has settled but my legs have been weary.
I set my alarm yesterday and then just clicked it off and slept on. I’d had a dreadful nights sleep Saturday and Sunday night and I more than made up for it with 10 hours sleep Monday night/ Tuesday morning. I obviously needed it so I consoled myself with making sure I was well hydrated and doing an hours Pilates to loosen up. This was lovely and relaxing until about 5 minutes before the end. I had my eyes closed and was gently rocking my knees one way and head the other / enjoying the cool down stretches and really in my own little world. I have the windows open when I do my Pilates because I always get hot and I could hear the gentle birdsong..... and then I heard a Miaow and a plop and I opened my eyes, turned my head to see a frog on the mat just behind my head. Thanks Roma!!! Well that was me done!! I got up and found my “frog pot” and cardboard( this happens a lot) and I popped the pot over Hoppy and slid the card underneath and took him back out to the pond. I think it’s the same one being recycled about twice a week lately.
Anyway so today was going to be my 8k!! I’d already seen that it was forecast for rain and I don’t mind a bit of rain running- keeps me cool but when my alarm went off I lay and procrastinated a bit more. I was giving myself pros and cons for running while I lay there.
- my legs ache
- just Jeff a bit then .. run 5mins/ walk 1??
- oh dunno
- maybe run 10/walk 1??
- maybe....
So I got up and out my gear on and headed downstairs , put my shoes on and then opened the curtains... it was chucking it down... bouncing back up again off my garden slabs so I sat down with my banana and thought “ I’ll have half a cup of coffee and see what it’s like then.,”. Well eventually it eased a bit and off I went. I wrapped my buff round my head to protect my headphones a bit. I lost one pair due to them getting soaked and never being quite the same after they dried out. Once I’m out there I’m ok -it’s just getting out the door!!!
So my plan was down to the Civic Centre, and run towards Ashford for 4 miles and then retrace my steps. I thought again about Jeffing and planned to run 5/walk 1..... big then realised I’d zoned out and been running for 11 minutes so then thought “ maybe 15? And then a minute walkjng?” But then again I just got in the zone and kept going. The gentle misty rain in my face was quite nice and the buff kept most of it ( and the sweat) out of my eyes and suddenly I was coming up to where I knew it was about 4k...( halfway between the stinky sewage works and the little small holding with Pygmy goats) and 3 things struck me.
1. I hadn’t run that far along there yet this year
2. I hadn’t seen the little goats this year...
3. I thought I could maybe run for 5k before I turned round????
This would mean I’d have 5k to get back home but if I bottled out at 8k I could always walk the last 2..... but I knew I wouldn’t do that really. So my 8k turned into an accidental 10k. It didn’t break any records.... I DID walk for a minute around 8k as I took a pic of a dear little bunny who was hopping about till he saw me and then froze in the grass verge hoping I couldn’t see him and the last 1-2k were a bit like hard work but I’d made my mind up by then.
So I was 1 min 30 slower than my PB but as I have been floundering a bit this year I’m happy with that!! It’s faster than I was expecting and I’m glad I did it.
I WILL go back to following the plan and build up to it again as I think I need the discipline but it’s good to go off piste once in a while.