After last week's disappointing 7.2 miler, where I struggled just around my usual loop a few times and found it all very hard work, I was determined to put in a better long run today. The previous Sunday I'd done a very good ten miles with a overall pace of 6.2mph which I was very happy with, so I knew I could do better, and I knew I needed to add a little more to the distance. I'm trying to get up to the full half marathon distance...and keeping an eye out for a local event to use the training!
Anyway, I was feeling a little fragile this morning, not due to a hangover you understand. I have been very good recently about not drinking any alcohol at all if I have a run of any sort the next day. I was just not feeling top notch. Had a Chinese takeaway last night and it was having a decidedly negative effect on my digestion which can be dodgy enough on anything over four miles/forty minutes long if I'm not very careful. We were going into Plymouth, the plan being for me to wear my running kit under some warmer gear then strip off the warm stuff and run home plus a few miles depending on how well my tum behaved itself.
Anyway after two loo visits all seemed well and I waved bye to the OH and started the run from the city centre. Always a little embarrassing with all the Sunday shoppers visiting the food market stalls that were set up. Dodging around shoppers isn't particularly easy either!
All well until I got to St Budeaux, where my mp3 player suddenly went quiet. Hmmm; I checked the Garmin which was just coming up to the 5k mark, so I hung on until it got to that mark, then stopped completely for several seconds to sort out the player which hadn't stopped, but had, I think maybe rubbing on my phone which was also in the back of my capris, turned its volume right down all by itself! By the time I'd stopped, detected the problem and got going again, I'd lost at least 20 seconds. Traffic was quite busy also and I had to stop several times at lights etc to make way.
It's a gradual long climb up to Saltash from Plymouth, you can see this on the Garmin stats and on the elevation readings. I was sweating like the proverbial and gasping by the time I got into Saltash but happy that my usual loops were in front of me and I always find it easier to run on more familiar roads, no nasty surprises!
Anyway, anything past 8 miles I was going to be happy with after the way my stomach had been feeling in the morning; still felt strong(ish!) at 9; at 10 miles I was down on my time from a fortnight ago but comforted myself that it is a harder run home from Plymouth with the gradient and the fact that I'd had to make several short stops on the way. The knees and thighs were starting to protest loudly as I carried on towards the 11 mile mark, but a short sprint around the edge of the local footie field brought me in at 1:49:31 or 1:48:46 if you take off the stops.
End average moving pace 6.1mph,
connect.garmin.com/activity...
I drank two pints of water on getting in and had finished the whole large sports bottle of water that I'd been carrying as well. Now enjoying a cocktail!!
CaroleC
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5K Build-up run - another cock-up! 
A Clause of Santas...?
