It was a funny one, this. Week 5 run 3 had loomed so large in the running calendar and was such a triumphant moment (20 minutes running!!!) that I think I lost my focus a bit. I couldn’t even remember what the formula was for this run, had to check it several times (5 run, 3 walk, 8 run, 3 walk, 5 run). So 18 minutes running with breaks, compared to 20 minutes solid running. I have read enough posts on here to know I shouldn’t take this one for granted, but...
Oh god. I went too fast again at the beginning. A combination of (foolishly) choosing Christine and the Queens, (foolishly) thinking about wanting to run faster before I have grown into my runner legs and somehow (wrongly) imagining 5 minutes would be a breeze 🤣
Well. I did the first 1km in a record time of 6:26 (which includes 1:26 of walking), but it didn’t feel very good. When Michael told me I had been running for 2.5 minutes I realised I had messed up (saw afterwards I was going at a sub 5:30 pace) and gradually ran slower and slower until I could walk. There was no way I could have run for longer, so I don’t feel any sense of achievement in that PB.
The good news is I recovered during the 3 minute walk and set off at a much slower pace, but the combination of the fast 5 and running into the toxic 10 meant it was very hard going for the first half of the 8 minutes. It was sheer will power that got me through until I found my legs again and finished the 8 minutes relatively comfortably. The last 5 were ok, if slightly slower than my 20 minute pace. Going out too fast completely sabotages my running rhythm! I knew that already! Doh!
For my cool down walk, I meandered through the gardens where I am lucky enough to live and imagined the statues in the photo saluting our running efforts today.
Then home and I think my eyeballs swivelled 180 degrees in ecstasy as I rolled my achy hips and butt over a tennis ball.
Whilst writing this, I realise I am talking about running for 4 or 5 minute chunks as if they are ok... which they are... what a difference 6 weeks makes!
I hope this is helpful/amusing to some of you out there! Writing these posts and reading yours has become part of my running routine.
Just... keep... running 🙂