The entire point of this morningโs run was to enjoy it - to thrill in it, even. And I did enjoy and thrill; I loved every moment. I ran solo in the nearby park just as the sun rose - my first time here at such an early hour. It was quiet, but with enough people about to feel perfectly safe.
Having extended to 6k on Sunday on top of last Fridayโs 5k, I wanted to pull back my distance to keep my progress steady. I could have continued, and would have loved to, but I didnโt want to invite injury. I reined in the temptation.
The light was glorious as I arrived and once the sun was up, dramatic with shadows long. There were glimpses of the city centre towers gleaming in the pinkish sun. Birds were very active: parakeets were invisible but squawking loudly overhead; gulls, crows and magpies were on the fields. The ground was hard enough to run on, so for the first time in a while I was off paths and pavements, running on the grass trails. I thought a lot about the semi-frozen earth and how it felt. Just a few patches remained too soft and needed to be skirted.
A man struck out purposefully across the grass with a simple fold-up pushchair in front; the wheels squeaked, adding to the birdsโ chorus. Why he took this direction was not clear: it offered no obvious shortcuts; he didnโt appear to have a dog. In the distance, canine play got out of hand and I could see the gaggle of owners struggling to break up a fight as the growls and yelps drifted across the park. At the top of the rise, an elderly woman sat in her wheelchair, watching the sunrise; on my second circuit, she had turned to face in the opposite direction to avoid being blinded by the light; she could now observe the sun striking buildings and avenues of London planes. A young female runner and I exchanged smiles and greetings as we crossed paths along the stretch with the juvenile trees. An empty passenger train passed by as I ran the embankment trail.
My attention, however, was primarily on the pleasures of running, and just feeling happy and grateful for it. I also focused on my breathing and posture, reflecting on variations. Lifting of and from the hips and raising the sternum was my main thing today. I think Iโm generally ok here, but even a few minor tweaks made a difference. I took in a short but steep incline towards the end. Iโd refashioned my usual hat as a buff and used another fleece hat on my head. The buff kept me cosy without overheating, but using it over my mouth and nose just steamed my specs. Gloves and hat remained worn throughout, unusually, but I was absolutely fine with two light top layers and my tracksters.
Iโve noticed that my settled steady pace seems to be around 7:34 mins/km. Although I corrected it, I again took off too quickly at the outset. It really doesnโt feel that way. I think I need that transition from walk to run to be a more focused moment: a place to gather, centre, breathe and set off exactly the way Iโd prefer. Itโs all a bit chaotic at present, and can get the run off to a less-than-ideal start. Itโs not awful (or not usually), but thereโs definitely room for improvement there. (I can see a Garmin beckoning... just to evade all the phone-fiddling, fumbling, stashing and zipping at both the beginning and end of the run.)
May 2021 eventually bring us a much kinder year - the start is not looking promising. Still, I can thank 2020, terrible as it has been, for bringing me to running.
Written by
GailXrunning
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What a lovely, uplifting post- that sounds a perfect ending to 2020- a nice, gentle run out in the fresh air just for the fun of it. I lost my sense of taste and smell yesterday- awaiting the test results so that will probably be me in until Jan 9th- so disappointing ๐๐ - canโt wait to get outside again. Iโll have to feast on all of the gazelle team posts about your runs outside in the meantime-Have a great New Years ๐๐
Oh, that doesnโt sound promising, does it... a key Covid symptom. โน๏ธ And you were just getting so close to your isolation release date. How frustrating! I can just imagine your gazelle muzzle chomping at the bit. I hope the virus gives you no more than a minor niggle. Look after yourself. Will do my very best to send you some vicarious running. ๐๐ผโโ๏ธ๐ฆThank you, too, for your kind words.๐
Came back positive today- another 10 days in isolation๐๐ -canโt see me knocking out a 10k for a bit- felt a bit tired walking up the stairs tonight! looking forward to reading all the team gazelle posts though ๐๐ป๐ฆ
Oh no ๐คฆโโ๏ธ just seen this! So sorry to hear, poor you.. And so close to your isolation release date. I really hope youโre not feeling too bad and you get a mild dose. Take it easy and you will be out running free again before long x
Great post from you! Lovely 4K to see out the year.
I always set off too quickly! I usually run for 30 seconds and check my pace on my watch. Yesterday I was aiming for just under 8:00 as I hadnโt run for a week and wanted a steady start, I checked my watch and it was 7:05; how could I get it so wrong!! I know from experience thereโs no way I could match that even for just another km. Drastic slow down ๐. Need to learn how to start without that discrepancy.
Thanks, as ever. Thatโs another reason in favour of a watch. Iโve got the phone app set to report every 5 minutes, which is more often than Iโd like, but does give me an early-ish check. Half a minute in would be much more useful. Itโs odd just how โoutโ my own estimates are; Iโd have thought a whole minute per km different!
A watch is helpful, but it obviously takes a few seconds for pace to stabilise and you just glance at the watch. It also vibrates at the end of each km and gives you your average pace for that km, so if you are aiming for negative splits you know what to work towards. Love my watch! You can choose what info you want to see.
Most watches have a choice of what you see on the watch face as you run! I have 4 showing. Actual pace as Iโm running, time spent running, distance covered and heart rate zones shown as a decimal. For example, if youโre running in heart rate zone 2 it shows as 2.4 or 2.7, wherever you are. I find this way of showing it very useful.
This works for me, but I tried a few different options before settling on this. I donโt need it to show average pace as it gives me that anyway at the end of each km.
What a beautiful post and a lovely photo. Running has indeed been the best thing for both mental and physical health this year in particular. Happy running ๐ค
Thanks, Grannyhugs! ๐ It truly has. And, for those of us who started this year, itโs a direct positive flip of the pandemic. Iโd thought about c25k on and off for a couple of years, but it has taken the shake up of 2020 to see me follow through. Just wish Iโd started sooner!!
Brilliant, youโve started now which is the main thing. I think we all wash we started sooner but somehow think the time you do start and get into the correct routine is the perfect time to have started.
You are spot on there. Mind you, what really slowed me up was my tech naivety. It was only when I played with Active 10 on my phone that I realised how easy c25k was. I went from one to the other in a matter of minutes. Iโd imagined I would need some special kit.. like an old iPod... something I didnโt have ๐คท๐ผโโ๏ธ๐ฃ๐(There are a number of daft things like this on my journey!๐.. including thinking B210k was a programme.) But, Iโm now on track! ๐
Sounds a nice, perfect run gail, and well done for getting up so early, since i've been of work, i've been lazy, and laying in most days! ๐คฃ todays news, might mean another week on furlough. You still amaze me, how much you take in, and remember, while you run, can never rush through your posts! โบ is M still on IC?Anyway, let's hope things, slowly get back to normal next year, but at least we've got our running, to keep us going! ๐โโ๏ธ๐โโ๏ธ
Indeed! M thinks heโll be ok for the next run. He took off the skin on his heel, so wearing shoes (even soft slippers) has been painful. (All this on top of the bruised/ cracked ribs from the previous episode๐). I think heโs missing the running, and is looking forward to getting back to it.
Lovely post as always ๐ I do enjoy โshadowingโ your runs . I look forward to getting back out for early morning runs such as this , most of my C25K was done over summer and at 6:30โish.
I used to pass two dogs (+ their humans) and that was it ๐
Well, apart from the โhardy boysโ (and ladies on a Tuesday ) golfers .
Beautiful ,peaceful sunrises just the odd Oystercatcher as I made my way down my โlong and winding road โ to the shore .
Your photo and post has reminded me how worth it getting up is to catch the first light , must try harder and not have the extra cup of coffee ๐โ๏ธ
Super that you are so enjoying your runs too ๐
The key to enjoying runs ( for me anyway) is setting off slowly regardless of whether my pace seems ok at the time . It is never still ok 1/2 Kms further down the road ๐๐ฅต Iโve known this for months now but still fall into the trap ๐
Amazing the difference even a small amount of seconds /km makes .
I have a Garmin 45 which I love ( itโs the entry level with sufficient tech stuff for me to navigate , it has buttons not touchscreen as Iโd be lethal with that . Was bad enough with the phone ๐) .
These days I try not to look at it too much , although I have it set to alert me to my pace , but the stats once Iโve finished and looked at them tell the story of my run and usually make sense of how I felt during the run as well as showing progress . So I try and balance use or overuse of stats .
Hope you continue into 2021 with many more happy runs ๐ฅณ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ๐
Fab post and photo!Iโm not a morning person usually, but with dawn being so late at the moment, itโs relatively easy for me to get out and get going! The light is truly beautiful too.
Sounded like an enjoyable run too...no pressure, just out there enjoying the freedom ๐
Happy New Year ๐ฅณ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ๐โ๏ธ๐
Thanks - and Happy New Year to you too. ๐Iโm definitely benefiting from the later sunrise too. In a way, itโs made the winter period additionally inviting because an early run is possible.๐๐ผโโ๏ธ๐๐ผโโ๏ธ๐๐ผโโ๏ธ
Thank you for your kind words ๐ - it was a really great little run. (Did I just type โlittleโ?! I did! Unimaginable not so long ago!) New year running plans are in development too. Best wishes.โจ๐๐ซ
๐ Thatโs so lovely of you to say. Thank you. ๐โบ๏ธ And, yes, fitter too. Isnโt it something to be heading into a new year with that one (or at least the process) already ticked?!
I usually set off too quickly. I also, in spite of having a Garmin watch, am always starting off by stashing keys and phone in my belt pouches. (Parallel GPS recording with FitoTrack and kicking off the podcast player.)
So, thatโs minimal shoes, maximal tech?!! ๐Itโs fascinating how we all go about this. It seems such a minor element, but itโs a detail that id like to resolve - as best I can. Your experience is a useful reminder that โhavingโ the watch, per se, is not going to be a solution.
Perhaps Iโm also being a bit pointlessly anxious about not losing my warmup warmth/preparation and trying to transition too quickly. I could just pause for a minute or two: set up, stash, and then centre myself and breathe before tipping into the run.
Lovely post and fab photo, too of your early morning run ๐ I think a lot of us go off too quickly at the start of the run and I completely know what you mean with the muddle of phone being stashed away, apps started, headphones in etc!! All I know is i soon settle down but I do find my Garmin helpful in this respect to check it on the first Km for pace etc then I leave it alone until the end of the run to check my stats. Now Iโm also running Strava on my phone for runs I need to work out how to link the two. Iโm wondering if it might be time soon for a โnakedโ run, ie no tech and a lot more mindfulness ๐ค Happy new year ๐ฅณ xx
Oooo... that would be an adventure! Give a whirl! Articles Iโve read suggest it can take a while to acclimatise and experiment. I realised early on that this is my favourite approach by far, so just embraced it. And it fitted well with what I do in yoga. Still, Iโm seeing it as a key thing to improve. Iโve enjoyed using the occasional coaching podcast, but even these have all been in the โmindfulโ genre so far. Getting the balance with wanting to run naked and still track the runs has to be a necessary compromise, I guess. Just need to find the best way to minimise the โinterruptionโ of the tech. Iโll find a way. (A new year project.) Your approach to the watch is what Iโd want: primarily an early double check on pace. And then a subtle buzz to alert me to my end of duration.
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