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Wednesday 13 March 2013

Week 12, Day 7: 21 miles ... putting it off


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!)


2 comments:

  1. Errr why is there no video posted of this happy dance?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, 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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