How nice is this?

[Curlygurly2]

I've been struggling a bit with my running lately, I'm following a GC training plan which is quite intense and demanding. There is a "confidence - o - meter" that shows whether you are on target to meet your goal, I am not apparently..., I reduced my schedule from 5 to 4 days, but it's still been quite hard to get myself out the door...

Anyway, I went out yesterday for the scheduled easy 45 minutes..couldn't really be bothered, was moaning and grumbling to myself in my head...as you do! Suddenly a chap ran up beside me and dropped into step with me. He mistook my 5K Your Way t shirt for a C25K one, thought I was a new runner! He said he would run a bit with me....

He had a much higher cadence than me, but without really meaning to I matched it, and guess what? It's absolutely true what they say, higher cadence equals faster easier pace..I was running at a whopping TWO minutes pace faster at the end of my run, and it still felt easy! It was good to run with someone else, not sure I have ever done that.

He really made my day, I took a pic, and said I would post it on facebook. told him my name and he said he would find me.. his name was difficult to spell, I didn't have my specs and couldn't make a note of it....but his first name is Steve.

I'm just wondering if any Cambridge runners have any idea who he is....

[Madge50 Graduate]

Oh that’s lovely, what a nice thing to do.... I could do with a Steve......I know what you mean about not feeling it, I’ve been struggling recently too......and much that I do like running on my own and the freedom and headspace it gives me, I do miss the occasional chat with someone.....especially parkrun....Mx

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

Just when you needed a bit of a boost along comes Steve, that is really brilliant and upping your cadence and speeding up so much wow!

[Cmoi Graduate]

Great story Curlygurly2 ! I'm glad my plan doesn't have a "confidence - o - meter" as it would undoubtedly do my head in. Meeting a Steve sounds much more motivating!

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to Cmoi]

Which plan are you doing?

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

It's one I downloaded from REI Co-op for the marathon on trails with silly elevation that I've entered at the start of October. I just picked the first plan that didn't freak me out completely!

[Katnap Graduate]

Well done on picking up the pace! Sounds like we could all do with a Steve! 😃

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

Found him!! Or rather, he found me on facebook.

[Beastie_MCCXIX Graduate]

Great story, glad it got you back in a groove. Now to leverage that feeling!