Copy cat running

[Yesletsgo]

Last night as I was falling asleep I dwelt on the fact I hadn't run since Wednesday. There were 'good' excuses (all of which would have been eliminated by getting up earlier) but when I saw so many people out running in the glorious winter sunshine yesterday I felt I was missing out.

This morning I woke after a fantastic night's sleep. I gave thanks that the days of having to get up early on a Monday, get 3 children out of the house and then get myself to work are over. Then I remembered my promise to self that I'd run this morning. Unlike yesterday it was overcast and decidedly cold. I asked my husband if he'd be coming. Of course he would. Bother, there goes my last possible excuse.

It felt chilly outside. Husband was in a short sleeved t shirt so must have been freezing, especially with the slight headwind. The toxic 10 was very much in evidence but you know how it is, you persevere and it gets better.

Through the Asda carpark and onto the seafront and things improve. We were only doing 3 km, very achievable. I was a bit quicker than usual trying to stay warm. I even started to enjoy it.

A few runners overtook us. One younger man in particular caught my eye (I don't mean that in a creepy way). He was going fast but he just looked so relaxed, bouncing almost in slow motion from foot to foot, it looked absolutely effortless. Is this the correct form that Coach B is always on about? I decided I'd try and move like that.

Obviously I'm a short overweight 60 something woman and he was a man in good shape in his 30s but I loosened up and tried to bounce my feet off the pavement. Something weird happened. The running sort of got easier and I sped up a bit. It felt really good too. My last km was 7'16" which is pretty quick for me, I quite impressed myself. I'm going to work on this.

Maybe the speed runs last week helped too.

The hardest bit of a run truly is the few steps to get you out of the door.

PS photo is my husband, not the easy runner. Taking his photo would have been creepy

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10]

Doesn’t a good night’s sleep have magic properties?! It makes almost everything better!

Great run for you. It’s wonderful hitting that “how am I going this fast when it feels easy?” pace! I’m sure those speed runs will be beginning to show up in your legs. For me, it’s about a fortnight after I start training regularly with a bit more purpose than I start to notice the difference.

I can totally understand the temptation to photograph the young, bouncy runner! Glad you resisted. Don’t want to be seeing any “runner held on suspicion of intimidating fit youngster” [not an actual offence] stories on the news!!!

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

By the time I considered taking a photo for reference he was long gone!

Today was one of those runs where, despite how I felt when I started the run went really well.

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Yesletsgo]

Oh, and that nice Mr Garmin has knocked another year off my VO2 age, I'm only 50 now! Amazing what a good night's sleep can do MissUnderstanding

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Yesletsgo]

Can you send your Mr Garmin round my way!?! Great news about the age reversal. That must feel pretty sweet!

[Sulley101 Graduate10]

😁😂 I must try out the “bouncy” style tomorrow! Well done for getting out there in the chill!

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Sulley101]

Highly recommended. I wish I could describe what he was doing, he just made it look so easy

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

That's really interesting about firm, we learn from each other and from other runners we see, and that's an amazing pace for 1k

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

If I see someone running and I like how they move I try and work out what they are doing differently to me. Other than that, the person I channel most often is the bad terminator from Terminator 2, but only on a very good day when I'm enjoying running flat out. It's all about repeated robotic perfection. If you saw me you'd have no idea of my mental processes and I doubt you'd know who I was trying to be but it's good fun even if it's all in my head. Today's chap's stye was much more achievable. I was quite impressed with myself when I checked the numbers so thank you SueAppleRun

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Yesletsgo]

I once ran a kilometre in 7.32 so your numbers really impressed me, mind you, once I'm retired and running more regularly who knows?

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thank you, once you retire you won't have to spend so much energy on working so you can direct it all towards your running. You'll be a newborn gazelle!! 🌪(that's a whirlwind, I couldn't find a gazelle emoji 😂)

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Wheeeeeee!

[TimeInNature Graduate10]

I love running along the new boardwalk. Such a lovely surface to run along. And often fairly quiet. A good run!

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to TimeInNature]

It's great isn't it? Wish it was a lot longer

[TimeInNature Graduate10 in reply to Yesletsgo]

definitely. I’m always a bit sad when I have to head back onto the prom.l

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10]

Great run YLG (and Mr YLG!) You’re so right about getting out the door being by far the hardest part, then you end up wondering what all the fuss was about. Until next time when it happens again. 😅

Oh yes, those bouncy, seemingly effortless, runners. How I wish I could do that. How do they make it look so easy? Never mind, I’m sure WE look impressive to non-runners. 😇

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

I tell myself I have always run further than them...

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

We are impressive. I'm impressed by you lot every day

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Yesletsgo]

❤️

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Yes indeed OF, I’m sure that’s right! 👊

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10]

Sleep is so good!

Well done you, it sounds like a great and invigorating run... the bit about the young runner... made me giggle!

I love it when that feeling you mention of it feeling easier washes over you... I always describe it, as the legs doing what they know so well and me just going along with them... usually kicks in with me at 6K... and I am hoping that will still be the case as I build back!

[Beatlesforever Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Oh yes, I remember that feeling usually around the 6k mark too. That must be the magic number 🤩 we'll get there again ☺️

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Beatlesforever]

The longest I've run for a while is 5k but I know what you mean. As I approach 5k it all falls into place and around 6k it flows. Note to self: start doing longer runs now the weather is better.

[Beatlesforever Graduate10]

Yay well done! It sounds like you had a lot of fun 👏👏👏😃 Yesterday I went out for a run and kept thinking about that young runner you described and trying to imitate that bouncing off the ground. I guess it is what coach Bennett means when he says we should spend more time 'flying'? I don't think I was very successful, I ended up going back to my usual plodding 🙈😂

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Beatlesforever]

It's hard to describe what he did but if you saw it it'd make better sense. Nothing wrong with a plod though, who knows who you may have unwittingly inspired?