Last night I was saying to Willow that I’d like to run for an hour this morning, slow and steady and see if I can still run the whole way. Lately I’ve been setting off way too fast, it’s such fun to glance at the watch and see my pace at 5.40 per k or sometimes even faster, but less fun to then go slower and slower and jeff back, trying to run and walk faster than is comfortable.
Just then Instructor57 put up a post about running to time with a youtube video, so I donned my headphones and played it. At the start the guy asks how many times have we run up and down past our house just to get the distance, it reminded me of my last 10k, I left home, ran to the seafront, ran along the seafront, ran across the bridge, ran alongside the river, passed the bridge where we usually start, ran on a bit, turned just under 9k ran back, saw Willow running towards me, ran across the bridge, back to the car uh oh half a k to go, ran up and down the road a while to finish 10k feeling very silly
So….. reset my watch so it didn’t show pace, just time, 😀 followed Willow as when I go first I feel I have to go faster to keep out his way. Willow slowed to walk after 1k so I overtook him but wanted to keep this easy pace up, I knew about where 3k would take me and got there just about in 30 minutes, but oh deary deary me, I’m at the fork in the track, decisions to be made, turn and run back half an hour, or turn left onto the rutted, wet, slimy mud and chalk track that goes alongside the river and is longer. I couldn’t resist of course. The tide is high, the river is full, the sun is out, I’m running easy, but now, round puddles, dodging lumps, holes, it’s narrow and the grass is long and wet, but I’m still breathing easy and thoroughly enjoying myself.
I start to tire, so when the opportunity arises I take a left turn back onto the gravel track I ran going out on.
All through this I’m saying hello to people, stroking the odd dog that comes up to me, grinning from ear to ear.
I felt a little uncomfortable in the beginning not knowing my pace but soon forgot that I had ever needed to, I played Elton John and others on my headphones and had set the 60 minute NRC run off so I knew when to stop running without keep looking at my watch. Coach asked some interesting questions, I answered aloud when no one around. I will definitely use that run again.
The verdict? By the end I realised I hadn’t even run 6k but I so enjoyed not worrying that I was slower in the middle on the grassy track or that I was slower than last week. I wasn’t puffed out at all, just gentle easy running and not one step walked 😀
The photo is of course the river but high tide makes it look very different
Run happy all. Good luck if you are racing this weekend, rest well if you need to.
Oh and I’m reading Your Pace or Mine which I’ve read before but not for a while.
