After 18K and 2 days rest? A cheeky PB over 5K...

Morning all... Aussie here from a sunny SW London (the sun has just come out though - my run was overcast - awesome!)...

Today was a 5K recovery run which I decided during my 5 minute warm up was going to be a tempo run. After 2 days of rest I felt great and had no problems with sore muscles or joints after the 18K so I felt good about pushing today and wanted to "feel the burn"....

5 minute warm up done and away we go... WAY too fast again in hindsight (I need to pace the first kilometre better)... but the heart-rate was soon up and I was warming up pretty quick! The gremlins tried it on between 1 and 2 kilometres but I beat them to death with my sweat... I was going to push hard and the gremlins would be left in my dust...

Felt great between kilometre 3 and 4, pushing along the river and the towpath past runners (yes, there was some overtaking today) and people on their way to work (which reminds me - work starts again Monday - boo!).... BUT I realised this was my slowest KM (those of you who read my posts know I don't have pace info on my Garmin deliberately) but I had to slow down a little bit here as it was just a bit tough...

When 4KM ticked over though it was time to push out for the final KM... not "run until you puke" push (which I don't particularly enjoy) but the "it's almost over, you may as well push a bit" push... And we're over the line at 5KM...

The result? Sub 29 minutes... yes folks, the Aussie has now cracked 29 minutes! A new PB over 5K...

I am convinced my training regime of 3 runs of an easy 5k-7k, intervals/hills and a long run is helping with my 5K times and must also be helping pull in my 10k times too... I don't consider myself "fast" but I do like to get faster... it's hard work but I find that once a month to push yourself that little bit beyond the comfort zone can be rewarding in other ways (today's PB being that other way!).... the rest of the time it's just enjoyable and relaxed (except for hills/intervals - they still suck!)...

Happy running folks... it doesn't get easier, YOU get stronger!

[Amisnan Graduate]

Wow Aussie, you smashed it today! Great run

[Hidden in reply to Amisnan]

Thanks - it felt good! Hard, but good!

[AncientMum Graduate]

Very well done Aussie, that's a great new PB. You're doing brilliantly. Congratulations

[Hidden in reply to AncientMum]

Thanks Epic Mum - it's rewarding to see results...

[Thp42 Graduate]

Well done. Fab run

[Hidden in reply to Thp42]

Thx! Good luck on your next run!

[poppypug Graduate]

Hey Aussie, well done on your PB, you are like a gift that keeps on giving

That is some fast, is it splits they call them ? Sorry, I am not familiar with all the tech stuff I just look and think " Ooooh that's fast ! He;s like wotsit off a shovel "

Oh and I really like your last sentence, we do get stronger, we don't realise it , but we do . Oh I will be going around uprooting trees with my bare hands soon ha ha

Hows Mrs Aussie doing ? Are the Aussiettes back at school yet ? xxx

[Hidden in reply to poppypug]

Thanks PP - I do like a good PB...

Yep - them be splits alright - kilometre splits... with pace in minutes per kilometre... my first km was a super speedy one (a bit too quick me thinks)... but it helped in the end! PB! I do feel I'm getting "better" and "stronger" each week so I'll be tearing up those trails soon enough! One of the best things about being a beginner is that there's much more chance of a PB in the first few years of running as you get so much better so quickly... Long may it last!

Mrs Aussie is doing okay - she's taking a few days rest (which is fine) and the Aussiettes start tomorrow (the eldest in Year 2) and next Tuesday (my baby in Reception)...

[Hidden in reply to poppypug]

Oh - and tomorrow (or Friday) I'm going to try for an 8 minute mile (which is a 5 min kilometre or 25 minute 5K pace)... Just the MILE mind you! Apparently that's quite a good test for a 40 something bloke... A book I'm reading says that if you can run a mile (1.61K) in 8 minutes then you are in a great place in terms of cardiac fitness...

It DOESN'T say "maintain that pace for an hour" - thankfully!

[poppypug Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Good Luck ! It takes me 8 minutes to do 1k at the moment xxx

[jaxmc64 Graduate]

That's really good Aussie!

I don't know how you run first thing in the morning - but I'm going to start giving it a go!

[Hidden in reply to jaxmc64]

Thanks Jax,

Takes me anywhere from 30-60 minutes from waking up to head out the door. I don't do as well in the evenings or afternoons (don't ask me why as I LOVE sleep)... I have a light breakfast (porridge, cereal or an energy bar), a glass of water and then let things digest for 30 minutes or a bit longer while I mess about getting ready - then off I go...

I never thought running on empty would work for me but it works best... not for everyone though...

Give it a go - nothing to lose!

[poppypug Graduate]

Ah , cheers Aus, that makes a lot more sense to me now . Wow, that first one is a "blink and you miss it " one. I find it quite hard to pace myself so Ive decided I just start slow and steady and then just get slower as the run goes on. Never mind, I will never be speedy but at least I am consistently slow

Aw, the little ones , all kitted out in their school uniforms , not a dry eye in the house

Mrs Aussie will be chomping at the bit to get out soon , I would think xxx

[Hidden in reply to poppypug]

An 8 minute mile is exactly the same as a 15 minute mile PP... it's a mile... The speedy ones are just lazy - you and I just workout longer than they do...

[poppypug Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Ha ha , I like it , yep, Im very happy with that xxx

[Vixchile Graduate]

Congratulations - to me that's fast. I think I am going to add some hills into my training - I have been inspired.

[Hidden in reply to Vixchile]

And intervals... fast sprints and then slow jogs... repeat until you collapse...

<kidding - but intervals are good>

[kickibro Graduate]

That's brilliant, Aussie. Well done x

[poppypug Graduate]

Ha ha Kitty, ya gotta love those cheeky Aussie chops tho' xxx

[teabreaks Graduate]

Sounds like a wonderful run Aussie. I'm showing all your posts and pics to my other half. I hope to inspire him to get outside and run, but he's too shy. He prefers the treadmill. But you're definitely MY inspiration!!!

[poppypug Graduate]

Oh yes , give us a go Aus xxx

[Hidden]

Look at you go! Do you know you started about the same time as me? I've managed one 8 min KM, just once mind! Sub 6 is just a dream.... I love your training plan, doing pretty much the same, but not on such an ambitious scale! BTW, do you run in those sunglasses? How do you stop them misting up?