NRC 10k plan: Wk 4 run 5 8k run

[Yesletsgo]

Yesterday evening MissUnderstanding and I were discussing the 8k run, both feeling a bit daunted. I told her that if I felt in the right mood I'd do it today.

Well, I woke up. I did the Wordle in 2 attempts and the Connections puzzle with no errors. The sun was shining, all the stars were aligned, 8k here I come!

My husband and I set off together, him like a greyhound, me like a snail. He called back, when he was a couple of hundred metres ahead of me, asking when I was going to start running. Hmmph, I explained I was doing a long run which meant I was starting s l o w l y!!

I pretty much did the run alone. It was a 'grateful' guided run with Coach B, who gave prompts every km and mile. One was about being grateful for the people who made the run possible. I looked at the fields I was crossing. It was a beautiful morning and I thought about the farmer maintaining the paths so I had somewhere to run, and about the food they grow so we can all eat.

It wasn't too muddy and my route took me further out than I normally go, not a soul around apart from someone walking their dog in the far distance.

It was a slow run, the slowest km being around the 6k point. Don't really understand why I was going slowly there, it was on one of the concrete bits. I think maybe that was the point where I realised my HR was a lot higher than I like it to be so I'd slowed down. In all, I was running in zone 5 for over an hour but it didn't feel particularly strenuous most of the time. I tell myself a heart rate monitor would probably give me a completely different set of numbers🤞

Towards the end of the run my stomach started feeling decidedly odd. I was out for the day yesterday, had a lovely time at the Imax cinema and then a great curry. Uh oh. I'd bought a birthday card for my sister which read 'It's all s**ts and giggles until someone giggles and s**ts'. Well, it wasn't in answer to one of Coach B's prompts but I was very grateful that I was nearly home. Oh, and I was grateful that I actually completed the run.

You gotta laugh!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10]

I am so glad you made it back safely! There was real jeopardy there!! You more than earned that tick!!!!

[Yesletsgo Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thanks, not something I want to repeat!!

Just checked next week's run, the Speed Run is a 5k tempo run...with 1.5km on either side for warm up and cool down. So another 8k as well as the 9k long run.

Definitely feeling a bit daunted by this 😨😨😨

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Yesletsgo]

It feels like quite a step up to me too! I think I’ll most likely do that one over a fortnight, maybe with a couple of other short runs added in. Will see! I like the flexibility of this plan.

[Yesletsgo Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

This 'week' took me 4 weeks 😂