Always good to meet some of the challenges on Strava at the beginning of the month! 👍
I’d checked the weather forecast last night - cold (but not freezing) dry and sunny intervals. Perfect for running. No gremlins this morning, up, showered and out. Distance decided in advance and running to coach Bennett’s ‘Another 10K Run’.
I started off on the single track road parallel to the riverbank. It’s a great surface to run on and I know I’m starting too fast, but rather than keep checking my pace on my watch, I try to ‘feel’ it and just slow down. I check my watch at the end of the first kilometre and its 8:30. Yep, that’s a pretty good guess and that pace I know works well for me. I decide once again to allow my pace to ebb and flow, without focussing on it too much, so I can enjoy the run. I can hear the swans this morning, they are on the washes chatting to each other, but I can’t see any as there is a high bank between the road I’m running on and the washes. This is a Good Thing as it keeps the floodwater where it’s meant to be 😊.
I run back along the lane into the village and head out on the main road. No traffic at all, so very comfortable running. A few kilometres done and I’m warmed up, so increasing pace slightly. Coach Bennett doesn’t talk all the time, so that when he does, I’m more likely to listen rather than zoning out. I turn left onto my rural route and its looking lovely in the early morning sunshine. I can see an owl in the distance hunting along the ditches. I think it might be a short eared owl, just because I know they are seen around here occasionally. Barn owls are much more common. I pass the field with the horses in, but they are right over the other side of the field this morning.
I come out onto the other main road that leads back into the village. I realise that I’m going to have to turn up the Deadend Track to add at least a kilometre to my run. I’m starting the 9th kilometre now, and Coach Bennett wants me to slow down. Slow down? Is he mad? OK I will (sometimes I don’t follow his instructions and feel like a rebel 😊.) Then he wants me to slow down some more and again I comply. This turns out to be another Good Thing as when I start the last kilometre, I feel like I’ve had a bit of a break, so I’m able to step it out a bit! I feel like I’m flying back along the Deadend Track, and finish strong. I hadn’t quite intended that last km to be such a workout, but coach knows best 😂.
I walk back home invigorated and get the kettle on for coffee before I do my stretches!
Splits were ebbing and flowing, the slowest being the first kilometre at 8:30 and the fastest the last kilometre at 6:57. Oh yesss! 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️
