3K - yes, don’t mind if I do!

[Jools2020]

After a longer run (5 miles) on Sunday, today was going to be a shorter run. I was tired this morning and I almost didn’t run, but after a cuppa and some breakfast I thought I would get out there. Leaving it another day would probably mean I would only get 2 runs in this week and I’m trying to get my run frequency back up to 3 again.

So a 3K would be good and I thought I’d save the excitement of intervals for another day. 😊. This would be a continuous 3K.

Tech sorted and off I go! Heart rate immediately zoomed up to Zone 4, so I aborted the run, took a few deep breaths and did some gentle stretches for a couple of minutes. The air quality is only fair! Then I started again. That’s better, Zone 2. I didn’t really focus on the zones after that. I knew by feel that the first km was slow. This is deliberate. I was I going to gradually increase pace this morning, so I like to warm up slowly. The first km is quite a downhill one and I enjoy controlling the run at this point!

Second km is shown on Strava as flat, but there is slight incline towards the end of it.. It’s hot out in the full sun! I plod on, with a sense of increasing pace.

Then the last km. I start to speed up a little but it’s not until I start the last 500 metres that I take off the brakes. It was too hot! But it’s lovely to be running in sleeveless top and shorts.

Km Splits:

9:41, 8:43, 7:02

Hello negative splits, there you are!

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

Great run for you today Jools, nice negative splits as well, glad you enjoyed your run today in the warm sunshine, nice that you speeded up on the last kilometer of your run, the weather is a bit more cloudy where I am in Central Scotland compared to southern England but still pleasantly warm with no rain.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

Thank you, Al. We’ve been lucky here today in the south east, it’s been glorious!

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

The sun did eventually shine at around half past 2, its now a nice sunny afternoon.

[Beatlesforever Graduate10]

Ooooh look at those splits 😃👏👏👏 very well done Jools, a fab run for you today 💪👍

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Beatlesforever]

Thanks, Beatles, I would not have wanted to run any further in the heat! 😊

[Instructor57 Graduate10]

A good 3k to keep the frequency up !Well done , it must have been warming up at that time ?

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Instructor57]

Oh yes. I think it was already 15/16 degrees. I meant to get out early. Didn’t happen!

[Instructor57 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Haha, yes, my early runs have got later 😁

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Instructor57]

I keep saying I run at 5 am in the summer. Well, I did in 2020 😂

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

I have never run at 5am. I think I got out at 6.55am once, but that was a fluke.

[RunWillie Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

You’re missing out! At your pace you could bang out 30k before work 🏃🏻‍♂️

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to RunWillie]

Perhaps! It would take me well over three hours, and I'd probably be useless for the rest of the day.

[RunWillie Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

I follow an ultra runner on Strava that runs every day at 5am who regularly runs 30k plus. Think anything is possible if you want to do it. You’re doing so well nowster but not everyone wants to get up early and that’s okay too. I’m sure you will run that 30k soon👍🏻

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to RunWillie]

It really wouldn't surprise me if I do eventually turn into someone who can do that.

I used to think 10km was hard and a HM was impossible. Now I do 10km runs in my lunchtime and HMs regularly.

The main motivation behind me getting a new watch recently was that I was getting to the point where my runs were going to be longer than the battery life of my previous one.

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

The earliest I have run was at 06.30 which was a 10K, that was because the temperature was already 14C, the weather forecast said the temperature would go to 30C in the afternoon, which it did, but by that time I had long completed my 10K and was in my garden in the shade of a big golf umbrella thinking to myself 'surely, there are NO runners running in this heat'.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

I definitely would not run in 30 degrees!

[CBDB Graduate10]

And what a beautiful set of negative splits! Hello, indeed!

Well done!!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to CBDB]

Thanks! I can just about manage it on a 3K run!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

What good splits and so good to be out in the warm weather

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thank you Sola. Warm it certainly was! 🥵

[Birdlady64 Graduate10]

Nice 3k there Julia 👌 I know you will be happy with those splits! Well done 👏

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

Thanks, Diane. I was pleased. Just about doable with 3K 😊

[Runninggirl59 60minGraduate]

Great run Jools and your trademark negative splits. 🏃‍♀️😀

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Runninggirl59]

Thank you. 3K is great distance just to get out there, especially if it’s hot!!

[RunWillie Graduate10]

Well done Jools2020 😍

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to RunWillie]

Thank you. 😊

[RunBrianRun Graduate10]

Ahhh, look at those lovely negative splits. 🤩 Well done 👌👏👏👏

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to RunBrianRun]

Thank you, Brian! 😊

[Chinkoflight]

Great splits, I'm dreaming of those in my next life. It is strange how the first 10 minutes impacts the outcome of a run, well it does for me. But I think it starts with the quality of stretches and the warm up walk. I'm repeating week1/2 of 5-10k which is a slow start and ideally a tempo finish. So far I'm on a tempo'ish middle! But I liked your lassoo course so I've attached a photo here of mine with splits

Map and splits from a smart app.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Chinkoflight]

I agree with you - the first 10 minutes are the most important! And I usually set off too fast. You don’t seem to have done that though and your splits are quite consistent. I slow that first km down by briskly walking, yes, walking for about 90 seconds into the first km then gliding into a slow jog. That’s why my first km is so slow! Then I try and keep it steady without overdoing it for the 2nd km allowing me enough left in the tank for a speedy finish!