Ups and downs (but no slopes)

[Yesletsgo]

Today I had a flash of realisation of the blindingly obvious - you can run at other times of day than before breakfast. Of course I knew this, but early on in my C25K I started running at that time so now it's my habit. The other day I did a 20 minute run mid morning and it worked. So today I decided I'd do again and I think I'm converted.

Why was it always pre-breakfast? Well, primarily habit. Also convenience, go for a run then eat, shower and get on with my day. Downsides - not a morning person, the mornings aren't very inviting in the winter, can't eat breakfast until I've run which makes it pretty late etc

Today I woke in my usual winter it's-not-nice-enough-to-run mode. I knew I needed a run, I'm going away tomorrow and there's literally no room for running gear in my bag. It was today or never, but when I woke up it wasn't happening. Had my breakfast and got on with some stuff that had to be done.

Around 11am the sun came out. Why not run now? No reason at all, so off I went.

The Group Plan 10k/60 minute Magic Plan called for me to run 30 minutes so I chose an NRC interval run - Slow Down 2 Speed Up. The app was slightly glitchy - didn't allow me to pause after my warm up but never mind, I was feeling relaxed and ready. Two intervals at 10k pace, two at 5k, two at mile and one at 'best'. It's been a while since I've made an effort like this but it was a beautiful day and I found some good paths at the local park that I haven't explored before. Where I live it's pretty flat but at one point found myself going up an incline...so turned and ran down it instead!

The run was 33 minutes but I carried on a little further, tempted to go for 50 minutes but realised I needed to get home to get on with things.

The stats on the app looked a bit dodgy at this point - 59 minutes per km? Slow even for me. When I finally pressed stop the app just started hanging. After 3+ hours it was still hanging and only sorted itself out when I closed it and restarted my phone. Mo Farrar congratulated me on how fast I'd run, despite, according to NRC, having covered 500m in 3hrs 41mins. Garmin tells me I covered 4.55km in 44 minutes. Ah, technology is a wonderful thing

PS during the recovery periods I was pretty much stopped hence only 4.55 km

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate10]

This is a great run Yesletsgo …I am either pre breakfast or post 6pm..strange how what we start with becomes a habit x

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Mummycav]

I've been running first thing in the morning for nearly 4 years now. When it's nice out it's a great start to the day but when it's horrible...so hard to motivate myself. So from now on when I have a day like that I won't snack after breakfast and with the passage of a few hours either the weather will improve or guilt will kick in, I think this could work

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10]

I am normally a pre- breakfast... but may be changing that to a later, mid morning run.

Your run sounds great... it takes technology to really mess up our stats... but we know what we did and we know how we did it !

Well done you!

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Pre breakfast will probably be my go to, for the days when I can't think of an excuse not to go, but mid morning is definitely growing on me.

As for the technology...

[Wavy-chick28 Graduate10]

we do get stuck in a rut, I’ve always run before breakfast but on the odd occasion been out later and it’s probably better 🤔

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Wavy-chick28]

Funny how changing things, even running a familiar route 'backwards' can shake us up and get us thinking

[Wavy-chick28 Graduate10]

might do that next run go the other way see what happens !