CR7: Why-weary run 🌞🐿

[GailXrunning]

Pre-lunch. Beautiful weather. Nippy, but excellent air quality. Counterclockwise in usual venue. Went fine, overall. Uneventful. Chatted about the run mostly. I thought a bit about cadence; even experimented; and chatted about it. Found the crow strutting in its usual spot; heard starlings chattering and the distant squawks of parakeets; was nearly tripped up by a squirrel that was inspecting an abandoned beer bottle. Glimpses of the Shard and other towers in the centre.

We knew we were finding it a bit hard right from the off, and speculated on the possible adverse effects of the morning’s intake of coffee (although there was nothing out of the ordinary).

Another factor (in the sense of it being hard) might be that for the last two runs we’ve been on a single rest day cycle (previously taking two days between).🤔 Playing with cadence could also be tiring but this only affects the run from the middle sections. Still, I wonder if I should just put that experiment to one side for the coming period. 🤔 And it was especially irritating that Runkeeper decided of its own volition not to track that today. 😤

However, the stats it did record indicate that we set out way too fast (and, being on the counterclockwise circuit, it means we went fast while on the section that includes the steeper incline). Our efforts to manage our pace are clearly all over the show! We talked about it throughout, in full sentences, just occasionally snatching our breath, so the pace must be right on the cusp of ‘too much’. The run certainly didn’t drag and was all over before we could diagnose it.

The split figure for the last km represents a new route taken for our final squiggle to make up the 30-mins, which entails a long drawn out rise. On the plus, this minor ordeal affords a fabulous vista of two lovely old and gnarled trees, one either side of the path.

The stats are simply for interest. We’re not, at this stage, aiming to speed up or to grow distance, just to monitor.

30:07, 3.98km, 7:34.

7:14, 7:30, 7:22, 8:12.

Happy running! 🏃🏿‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏻🏃🏿‍♀️🏃🏽‍♂️🏃🏻‍♀️

[Bambi2020 Graduate]

A good 30min run-I’m starting to realise a bit quicker when I’ve set off too fast and now have time to pull it back before I’ve stuffed it all up- sounds like you did it just right today-another one in the bag! 👍🏻🦌

[GailXrunning Graduate in reply to Bambi2020]

👋🦌 Agree. I only check the stats at the very end, but they really tell an interesting story. Learning. Still 🐣🐥

[Hidden]

Wow that's a run packed so full of distractions and wildlife GailXrunning, where's those piccies 👀

[GailXrunning Graduate in reply to Hidden]

😂 No way could I take photos and run at the same time! That said, I made my first photo running on the spot. And if I ever switch to Garmin then I’m robbed of pic ops.

(Today, though, I just forgot.)

[Jools2020 Graduate]

Lovely run report from you and a good 30 minute run! Well done. I enjoy reading about the wildlife and your thoughts about the run. I agree that you may be setting out too fast. If you slow down that first km then the whole run becomes easier. A few months ago I was trying very hard to run 4K in 30 minutes. I did it, but set off too fast and was doubled over with exhaustion at the end of the run! 2 days later, I tried it again. Set off nice and slow and increased pace with each kilometre, relatively easily. My overall pace was the same, but the run was so much easier and I was not exhausted. 😊

[GailXrunning Graduate in reply to Jools2020]

Thanks, Jools2020. Indeed, that was *meant* to be the idea! I fear we might need to bring technology to our rescue during the run (Garmin calling? assuming I could actually read it on the move!)

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to GailXrunning]

I have a Garmin watch. I’ve set mine up to give me what I want to see as I’m running. Distance run, overall time spent running, heart rate zone (expressed in numbers) and actual pace. The pace reading takes a few seconds to settle down if you change pace. This is the reading I use to try and help me stick to my first km pace. Then at the end of each km my watch buzzes to tell me the average pace for the km I’ve just run; both these pace readings are useful to me.

On a long run, though, I don’t use the watch and just run at ‘easy conversational pace’ for most of the run. Maybe I’ll glance at the heart rate zones. Those are the runs I really like!

[GailXrunning Graduate in reply to Jools2020]

It does sound as if it could help... with learning on the hoof (so to speak) 🦌

Even when I thought we’d slowed today, it’s clear that we hadn’t (relative to other outings). That’s very helpful to know.

[Peter44 Graduate]

Ummm, 7.14 looks pretty fast to me 🤔, i went out with my daughter tonight, did 4k, 35 mins, but split for first kilometre was 8.35 🤔, so what you need to do, to slow down, is run with me! 🐌🤣Anyway, you got another run done, i sometimes have to pinch myself, that we're now running, 30 mins+, fairly comfortably! ☺

I'm guessing M not too happy about tonights football. 🤣

[GailXrunning Graduate in reply to Peter44]

He’s offering to do the back and forth to the kitchen (cooling down the soup routine)... *during* the game. You can tell something is up.

And yes, 7:14 appears to be our fastest km since I started looking. Unintended. In fact, the opposite of what had been intended. We must not start a run this way. A pace-setter!! There’s an idea. (The 50 kids though?)😂

[Peter44 Graduate in reply to GailXrunning]

Well, i slow my daughter down, when she runs with me, she's much faster, when on her own, but she is 22!!! 🤣 i just seem to find the same pace, and stick with it, maybe a bit slow, but comfortable, and enjoyable, so happy with it, for now. ☺

[GailXrunning Graduate in reply to Peter44]

Comfortable is the key. It’s the magic. ☺️