After a week prior to holiday feeling unwell and chesty so minimum mileage covered and then 2 weeks of holidaying in France with a lot of wine and cheese I know I have to get back on the serious training and building up those miles again so back into routines this week.
I’ve decided Sunday is the best day for me for longer runs as I can get up and out and still enjoy my family time. So today I have decided I am going to try and aim for at least 10k but really want to push further if possible, within reason. My goal is to run to Poolsbrook country park, the same route the ladies and I had taken prior to going away, and if need be I would walk back.
With it being a fairly flat and straight forward route, I woke feeling confident. After all I had already done this route once not that long ago.
I set off water bladder pack on my back, after throwing half of it down me prior to leaving the house by pulling the hose off the pipe. Note to ones self don’t pull the mouth piece when trying to open the lid. It creates a waterfall effect.
Off down the track and onto the trail I went, It was going to be a warm one so I wanted to get there and back before the heat really started.
Pace was good all the way up till about 8K then I’m not sure if it was my brain telling me once I reached Poolsbrook it was ok to stop or if my legs were getting tired. I think it was my brain, having ran with the ladies last time, chatting as we went along didn’t allow me the time to have these thoughts in my head and question my ability I had just kept up with them. They had also kept me at a steady pace. Pacing myself when I run alone is not my strong point and something I definitely need to work on.
I gave my head a good talking to and told it to shut up with the negative thoughts, I could do this and before long I was hitting Poolsbrook.
I was half way! Just had to return home now one way or another. Now here I told myself since I had to go back anyway I might as well take a slow jog back and keep going, again I left going round the actual country park for another day maybe in a couple of weeks time after I’d built back up it would be my next goal. So after a quick text to hubby to tell him I had made it and was on the way back off I went returning the way I had come, down the trail. The trail is a great flat run and I shall be using it a lot in my training but I have to admit when running on own it is a little boring looking at the same scenery over and over, making the paths look long and endless.
About 15k I really began to flag in energy so decided to take a 60 second walk, a rule I picked up from reading the too fat to run marathon guide and took this as an opportunity to pop in an energy strip.
Having taken one at the start knowing it was a longer run I’m not overly sure what effect they have to be honest. There was no major rush of energy rushing through once I’d had them. so who knows if they were doing anything or not! I was opting for the strips as they have been recommended for being kinder on the stomach, the last thing I needed was an upset stomach whilst out running. I really need to trial stuff over the next couple of months to see what works best.
60 seconds later I kicked my butt back into gear plodding along I knew my pace was slowing but it didn’t matter it wasn’t about speed it was about distance today. I’d told myself when I got to the exit of the trail I could stop and walk the remainder of the short trip along the field and up the hill home as a cool down walk. I could see the exit in sight it just seemed to pop up out of nowhere and after a little talk with my head I told my self I’d come this far why stop now.
So I carried on nice and steady along past the horse field and to the hill, last stretch the hill was slow and to be honest almost a walk but when I reached the back gate I had done It again, on my own this time, 11 whole miles!!
As I walked through the garden I spied a deckchair with my name on it and flopped into it, dropping hubby who was sat in the lounge a text to say I was just going to sit here awhile.I knew I had pushed my self today but also knew I needed to push my self. I could have given up half way had I have listened to my head which seemed to want me to stop, but I didn’t, something deeper believed in me and kept me going. I Just need to work on making this distance stronger now, I now it won’t always be easy and the training ahead is going to be trying but I’m making that commitment to not giving up and keeping going.
No interesting pictures today as I was too busy keeping myself going, but look at those calories burned!
