13k // 1h18 minutes!! I ran with NRC + coach bennet who I swear has been with me on all my long runs now!
I did the distance based 8 mile run - so there is no timings involved, but instead they go off how far you have run. I was tempted to keep my Strava telling me my pace, but decided against it. It was so lovely to have actually no idea of my pace! It really made me recognise how I was feeling in them moment - too slow / too fast?
The first 3k ish he really emphasised to be slow - so I tried to keep my pace at the bare minimum. I was a bit apprehensive over running the distance I must say, so keeping the first bit super easy helped with my nerves. After about the 4k mark, I was running a different route to where I normally go; which I think definitely helped! I like having things to run to, but I think I do better mentally if I don't know what's coming next. Probably until 8k I was good, but then things seemed to go so slowly, and it was also here that my mind started to as me "what if you can't run this far " and other fun things. But we continued!!
All was well until km 10: and he told me we were going to mix things up with some intervals!! Haha no kidding, I'd not been expecting that. Just 100m of each thing, but 100m at a 10/10 effort is a lot. After that excitement, the end was in sight - but the trickiest yet!! I swear that last 1.5 miles seemed to take forever to pass. My legs were for sure tiring, and it felt like I was running at 1mph.
But I did it!! I'm so please with myself for managing the distance, and I'm also happy that I could increase my pace throughout the run Also it makes 10 miles seem a lot more achievable!