Week 12, Day 7
Goal: 21 miles in 9 min miles with final 4 miles sub-8
min/miles
Actual: 21 miles in 8:20 – 9 min/miles with final 4 miles
sub 8 min/miles
This was my first long run back after feeling ill … and I
kept putting it off and putting it off. Yes it didn’t look very inviting
outside with snow flurries, but I used the
Mother’s Day excuse as a reason for a lie-in, then decided
it was absolutely crucial to update my phone before I went, then to sort out my
socks …
I finally got out of the door at about 2.30pm and took my
first step of the long run at about 3pm. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy long
runs … when there aren’t suicidal cyclists around anyway. It’s time when all
that matters is being able to put one foot in front of the other and keep doing
it. Today the aim was to keep doing it for about 3 hours so I’d picked a scenic
route around Pitsford Reservoir near Northampton.
Although it was Mothering Sunday, the cold winds and snow
had kept away most of the cyclists and walkers except a few diehards with
deerstalker hats and woollen scarves so the paths were mainly mine.
I’m relieved to tell you that at no point did I fall in a
ditch, have to wade through a flood – although there were a couple of large and
rather muddy puddles – or have an attempt made on my life by a cyclist.
Nowadays, that’s all it takes for me to be able to count a long run as a win.
Boring though they may be to read about, uneventful runs are a definitive plus
for me. In fact, the most exciting thing that happened today was that I forgot
my water bottle so completed the run without having a drink. Something I didn’t
actually notice until I was back in the car wondering why I was sitting on a
bottle of water.
I’m a little bit suspicious about the lack of adventures on
my recent runs and am slightly concerned that the Running God has something in
store, so I’m making sure that stores of loo roll are packed, personal alarms
are charged and I’m trying my hardest to look particularly unappetising to
large dogs. Or small dogs. Dogs generally.
Goal: 21 miles
Avg pace: 8:23 min/mile
Time: 2:56:08
0.97mile cooldown.
Last 4 miles sub 8:
Mile 18: 7:43 min/mile
Mile 19: 7:43 min/mile
Mile 20: 7:39 min/mile
Mile 21: 7:30 min/mile
Total Time: 3:05:20
Total Distance: 21.97 miles
Also on this run my heartrate has stayed reasonably steady
at 150bpm so looks as though this bug has finally departed.(Happy dance!)
Errr why is there no video posted of this happy dance?
ReplyDeleteSorry, Bear. I got caught up in the moment and was so busy jigging around I forgot to set up the camcorder. Next time ...
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