Meant to post this here too:
Up with the lark this morning, the alarm was set for for 5am as usual but I awoke about 4.15, dozed off a again until what I thought was almost five bells so jumped up, only to realise it wasn't even twenty to. Looking back, I can't help but feel my subconscious had done this deliberately....
The extra time meant I didn't feel the need to rush out the door but I found that counterproductive this morning as I was plagued with doubts, 'what's the point in doing this, it's not as if you're gonna keep it up?'
This feeling is always there but I usually keep it supressed, every now and then it struggles to the surface though and I find it quite disconcerting. Not so bad that I've ever felt like staying in bed (it's why I get up and out so quickly usually, I don't want to give myself the chance to think about it and change my mind) but it bothers me that I can't quite shake it off.
I'm putting this one down to post grad blues, although I'd thought my decision to proceed to 10k had dealt with that. Feck it anyway!
So gear on and out the door, Spotify playlist at the ready. If Mollie wants her revenge, this is going to be the blog for her because as I walked out the door McAlmont & Butler went from saying 'Yes' to no because all I was getting in my ears was the sound of silence, and I'm not talking Simon And Garfunkel! My 'phone had died.
After a bit of a fiddle I realised it hadn't protested at my choice of music, it had just decided to shut down (smart, my arse!) so a quick reboot and all was well.
Another lovely morning for a run, there was a fine mist that had wet the ground but no rain so off I went on my warm up walk to the beachfront, although I was still undecided whether I was going to do my usual 5k route out of town or head in for a change. Again this uncertainty was to do with my doubts servicing as I couldn't make up my mind whether the change would work for or against this. Doubts, doubts, doubts.
Without having made a definite decision, I found myself heading into town. I knew the pier in the centre was just over 2k and thought I'd go beyond it and try to gauge from the MapMyRun guy in my ear how far after he gave me that milestone I should go before turning for the 2.5k home.
I found the first kilometre quite tough mentally, I just couldn't shake the negativity, however by the time I reached the pier I was in ball order and had settled into the run. I ran beyond the pier to the tourist railway which runs up to the marina in the summer and in the absense of any other obvious landmark beyond that, turned for home, although I knew I hadn't gone far enough for the return journey to quite make up the 5k.
This didn't concern me too much as by now I'd started entertaining the idea of pushing it a bit, last Thursday I'd done my first run over the 5k (6.3k) so I thought I'd go to 6k today, aware as I was of the 10% maxim and the fact I was in no rush to the 10k distance.
For my return journey I didn't head back down to the beachfront (to go up by the pier I'd had to come off there up a slope) but parallel to it, giving myself an overview of the sea (albeit it in the dark, as usual) and a run along the pavement by the coast road through town. Now I know it's a party town I live in (I've ran by clubbers emerging at 5.30am in the middle of the week before now) but a pizza place open at that time? Really?
I was peering at it across the road as I ran by and although the lights were on and they were clearly open, I couldn't quite take it on board!
After this I hit some works on my side of the road but as I didn't want to cross over, I ran on the the only section of pavement available until I passed them, which was only about two foot wide. It was either that or on the road and as my jacket is dark, I didn't want to test the awareness of anyone driving at such an early hour by choosing that option.
This distracted me for a bit but then it occurred to me, MMR guy still hadn't said 3k, which seemed quite a gap. However he said it soon enough after to convince me the 6k was on. Not too long after I hit 4k I was almost back to where I started (it's a lovely thought that I can now run in and out of town non stop) and by 5k had headed up aong my usual route out of town, with thoughts of going beyond the 6k to the four mile mark, 6.5k. I don't know about anyone else but when it comes down to it, my head still works in miles, never mind this new fangled kilometre malarkey. Try as I might, four miles just seems further than six and a half kilometres.
By now I was on my way back towards my start point and approaching my new intended distance had decided I felt good enough to keep going. Don't get me wrong, I could feel it in my legs but not so much that I felt I had tio stop (a bit like this blog) so realising I was within spitting distance of 7.5k and running for an hour, I opted to continue, back by my starting point and in towards town again. I knew I was being greedy but I couldn't help myself. Because the MMR guy only updates at each km, I'd now fished my 'phone from my pocket and was checking it for the hour up and 7.5k mark, which looked as if they weren't going to be too far off each other. A lovely 'coincidence' of timing and a satisfactory place to end a satisfying run.
Not satisfying enough obviously, because I still didn't slow to a walk.
I couldn't help but feel that I may as well go to the five mile mark so I did one last double back and finally tapped stop.
Another concerned text from Mrs Fingalo (my subconscious obviously hadn't got me out of bed quite early enough) and some calf stretches later and my run was over.
5 miles/8k done and running for more than an hour. Not fast by any stretch of the imagination but two milestones I'm well pleased with. I know I took the piss with regards to the 10% rule but it was there so I went for it, on Saturday it was all I could do to manage the 5k, although I'd ran faster than usual.
Postcript: I assumed I might feel a little sore afterwards but having had my shower and headed to work, my legs felt fine.......Until an hour and a half later when my train arrived in London and I was walking down the platform.....Stiff as a poker but you know what, I can live with that.
Still, those doubts.....
I think I have this!!!
I have dusted off the trumpet............
I am back - again!
I don't like to show off *hums tune* ;)
