That's successive Saturdays I've missed a run, the first planned, the one just gone due to 'injury'. I use single marks because I ran with the same problem this morning and it was fine. It's a slightly gouty right foot, I was monitoring it on Friday evening then got up about 3am on Saturday morning and as it was still at me, I took one of my pills, the idea being it would be okay by the time the I got up to run. Suffice to say it was still sore so I returned to bed. A decision I regretted as we probably walked for over six miles later and although I could feel it, it didn't bother me at all. Lesson learned.
We had friends running in the local half marathon on Sunday so were out early to support them, although I have to say not a single one of the 10,000 runners had the common decency to thank me for the loan of part of my route.
Cheek!
One thing I was looking for were those 'barefoot' running shoes, not a single pair did I see, odd as I'd the impression from here and elsewhere that they were quite the trend.
I also have to report a rather dangerous conversation in the pub after the post race meal. One of the wives is considering entering the local 10k in November and I just stepped back from committing myself to it. The problem is, I've thought of little else since and have all but decided to go for it. At least to build up from 5 to 10k anyway, something I didn't expect to be interested in doing at all. I'm a bit dubious about the extra time I'll have to give to it but am really tempted.
So to the run. I know I said that after my first two 5k runs that I'd save my next one for graduation day, well, today made a liar of me!
It was a fabulous morning for a run, dry and still. I have to confess my horrible run last Thursday hadn't quite been completely exorcised from my mind but as the conditions couldn't have been more different I was pretty positive setting off into the dark. Bloody half marathoners, running in the daylight an' all that. Easy, peasy!
One of the first things I spotted was the regular dog walker I see, or in this case just his dog up ahead. For some reason I smiled at that, possibly the familiarity of it?
I was past 5 minutes and settling down when I messed with my 'style' a bit, trying to use my arms in a more definite fashion, rather than let them do what came naturally. This came from observing the different (and some pretty bizarre) styles of the runners yesterday. I'm unsure if it helped my running but it certainly felt more comfortable. I then started trying to work out my breathing, it's something I've ignored since Laura suggested I regulate it very early in the programme. As far as I was concerned back then, just breathing at all was all the energy I could divert to thinking it about at that stage.
I found that pretty distracting (I don't think I got into a pattern but I'll work on it) and it wasn't long before I was halfway through the 30 and turning for home. No police this time, I guess there's only a certain amount of resources they'll devote to the murder of a homeless man, although they did mount a reconstruction at the weekend.
It was about this time I thought of extending the run to 5k as I felt reasonably good, although as I'd turned after 15 minutes I had no set route to follow. This led to some fun and games later....
On a ran, I was around the 20 minute mark when I spotted what looked to be a small motorcycle/moped approaching, well at least I thought it was a motorised. I realised I'd have to 'tread water' for a moment as I could see our paths were going to coincide, it was only as he came by I saw it was a feckin' bicycle. He must have thighs like Chris Hoy the speed he was going at. Impressive.
Actually 'treading water' is pretty accurate a description of my running style, now I think of it, an awful lot of commotion given the limited forward movement
I was in a rhythm now so 25 came and went and before I expected it, Laura said I'd only 60 seconds to go. I knew my time for 5k was 36-38 minutes so elected to try and judge it by running through the warm down walk, then on to a landmark I could hit and return in order to bring up the distance. On the way back I started to consider what if I'd got it wrong so against my better instincts decided to whip out my 'phone to check the app. Easy? Well first I had to take my right glove in my left hand, then the switch the handset to my left hand too so I could input the security code. Then hit the app to see where I was at. Except to see where I was at I had to remove my glasses, so there I am running along with both hands full trying to see the tiniest digits in the known universe, only to find I was short a quarter of a k, at which stage I doubled back again in order to make up the distance.
I finally doubled back again and finished the run. I swear to god that at one stage I must have looked as if I was running in circles!
Little wonder the run took me 40 minutes, two longer than my previous 5k. Am glad I did check the app though as I would've been pretty annoyed to have missed the distance by so little. One of these days, when I'm finally convinced I'll keep this lark up, I'll have to invest in one of those clever watches.
Oh and one thing that surprised me given the beautiful morning that was in it, not one single other runner did I see. Mrs Fingalo has just suggested they were all taking a break after being in the big race the day before, which makes sense.
Postscript.
The foot had been sore going out, I could feel it in the warm up walk but I didn't notice it at all once I started running. Also my left knee siezed a wee bit afterwards and is still bothering me, however I don't think it's anything serious and I reckon I'll be grand for Thursday.
Things I learned today (at Parkrun)
Am I too slow for a 'Park run'?
Michael Johnson and I had a bit of a falling out
Things I learned from week 6.
