An early 4K ☀️🥵

[Jools2020]

I had already decided it was going to be an early run this morning, but it was still 6 a.m. and already 12 degrees by the time I walked out of the door. I don’t much enjoy running in the heat. I wished I’d got up at 5 when I woke up but the duvet gremlin 😈 got me!

I started some music ‘It’s a Beautiful Day’ by Queen 🎶 just to get in the mood! The first thing I noticed was the birdsong. It was so loud! Then I realised it was coming through my headphones. It was part of the song. Doh! I remember I’ve been caught out with that before.

My watch had not acquired a satellite signal by the time I finished my warm up walk, so I started the run, stopped it and deleted it, then tried again. This time it worked and I was off! Slowly - forcing myself not to overdo it in the heat.

All was fine for the first couple of kilometres. The second km is odd on this route. It shows as overall downhill but there are also some quite challenging upward inclines which have caught me out in the past. I am learning to deal with them, but it explains why my second km is sometimes slower than my first, as it was today. There is a short, steep upward incline at the end of that km which sends my heart rate up!

The third km shows as slightly uphill, but I cope with that one much better as I plod on and start to feel the heat. I see a number of runners and dog walkers and we all exchange greetings. I resolve to try and find out if there is a running club close to where I live. It’s a large village, so it’s possible.

I reach the T-junction and turn left today for the 4K. I’m too hot to do the 5K route this morning! As I finish 3K I notice I have increased pace a little and try to pull out some stops to finish stronger than I started. This route only sees the last 4-500 metres as downhill, so I do manage to increase slightly.

I’m pleased I went out this morning. It was definitely an effort, but I did it. The Red Kites were company for me and I arrived ‘home’ early enough to have a coffee with my brother before he left for work. Still can’t attach a photo, thought it would have been fixed by now!

Splits:

8:23, 8:25; 7:47, 7:07

[Jools2020 Graduate10]

4K Run

[Instructor57 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Nice early run Jools !Glad you managed to get up before the sun 🌞

I was actually thinking of doing the same today but woke up with a really bad sinus headache so made tea and went back to bed with a couple of tablets 😐

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Instructor57]

Thanks, Ian. Sorry about your headache. Hope the tablets have done the trick.

[Instructor57 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Yes thanks, they do work !Unfortunately so do I soon 🤣😐

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Instructor57]

😂 Enjoy!

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to Instructor57]

A brace of paracetamol and a mug of coffee usually help for me. The paracetamol usually has a slight decongestant effect on me, allowing the sinuses to drain.

[nowster Graduate10]

Well done! My second km on the 3km loop also contains a pair of climbs even though it's downhill overall.

[Jools2020 Graduate10]

Thanks, nowster. It’s taken me a while to realise what’s actually going on with the slopes and data from Strava.

[Peter44 Graduate10]

Well done Julia for getting out so early, and your doing alot more than me at the moment, hope all the other stuff is sorting itself out, there's a half marathon in st.albans this sunday, which if i'd carried on with the distances, might have entered, maybe next year! 🏃‍♂️🤔

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

Mmm. I’m not doing that much! Struggling tbh, managed 2 runs last week. Both slow.

Shame about the half marathon, but you know you could do it if you carry on with the distances. I only did 3 or 4 x 10 milers before deciding to go for it! There will be others. 😊

[OrbitABit]

Well done getting out early!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to OrbitABit]

Thanks! I have to, or it’s too hot for me! 😊

[Week7 Graduate10]

Reading your posts about morning runs make me want to get up and go for my run first thing before it gets hot but in reality tomorrow morning I know I will be thinking that a cup of coffee is more attractive before taking the dog out and walking to work. Nice idea to join a running club especially after moving .A great way to meet like minded people.

I hope you find one!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Week7]

I put my running clothes on as soon as I get up. Then a quick cuppa as I’m doing my stretches and out the door before I have time to argue with myself about going 😊Hopefully I’ll find a running club . I need to meet people.

[LottieMW Ambassador]

Well done for getting up and running so early!I prefer morning runs…but my ‘early’ would be more like your lunchtime! 😂

Nice splits again!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to LottieMW]

Thanks, Lottie! I’ll try for even earlier runs if it gets hotter! 😊

[LottieMW Ambassador in reply to Jools2020]

Aaaaargh!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to LottieMW]

😂

[Aspire24 Graduate10]

Some advice Jools. How do you manage to increase your pace as it’s quite significant between first and last km. I try to speed up for the last half Km but it doesn’t really work. I need to learn how to run a bit slower but in a routine of about 7min give or take 10 secs either way. Any tips welcomed 🏃‍♀️

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Aspire24]

I start off easy to allow my body to warm up properly. The pace depends on my fitness level - at the moment about 8:30 - 8:45 minutes/ km. I can feel my body start to warm up and it’s more a case of relaxing into the run, taking it steady and making sure I’ve got enough left to go for it at the end.

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to Aspire24]

It's more about starting really slowly, I think.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

Yes, easy - slowly, but it takes conscious effort with fresh legs to start slowly. But if I start too quickly, for the whole run I’m playing catch up and I’m exhausted before the end, so for me it’s been worth persevering with negative splits as it makes the run so much easier. I just don’t do it on longer runs. I still start slowly (maybe more so) but I allow the splits to ebb and flow in a natural way, slowing down and speeding up a little as I feel like it. Still finishing strong, though.

[tmbtrain Graduate10]

Great you made it out early before it got warmer! I've never paid so much attention to these early mornings temperatures since starting running 😀. I think its to get hotter by the weekend too 😱

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to tmbtrain]

Oh dear - I don’t cope well running in the heat. I can feel a 5 am run coming! 😊🏃‍♀️

[tmbtrain Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

I might have to do that as well even though 5am is like the middle of the night 🙃

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to tmbtrain]

😂 nooo! Midnight is the middle of the night 😁. The beauty of it is you can get up, running clothes on, without even thinking about it! As soon as you think about it - all is lost. Oh, and never, ever take a cup of tea back to bed. 😂

[Aspire24 Graduate10]

Thanks for coming back. Think I need to find some music to set a slower pace to as I don’t seem to be a good judge! Wonder what bpm is 8 and 7.5 min kilometres, anyone know?

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Aspire24]

No idea, I’m afraid. I only tried a couple of times to run to bpm. I couldn’t do it. I just need to have the freedom 🏃‍♀️👍

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Nice splits and you were out way before us, I tried starting really slow once or twice and speeding up but however much faster it felt it was always slower, maybe should try again

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

I remember you saying. It doesn’t suit everyone, many people prefer positive splits. There are arguments for and against both. It’s down to what feels good for you.

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

You are right, I’d just like to see negative splits and feel if they are right for me 😀

[GailXrunning]

Well done and a good one, especially with some mountains climbed and challenges met before breakfast. Sometimes the coolest temperature is a little later than we think (another good reason for falling back to sleep after a balmy night 😉)

Sounds like red kites are the new whopper swans?

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to GailXrunning]

Thanks, Gail. I agree, I swapped Whoopers for red kites!

Red Kite