Good
On Wednesday I set out for a quick lunchtime run. 3.1 miles around one of my standard routes across the fields and woods, with a short road section in the middle. I'd set out fast, not deliberately - it just happened, and I'd kept up the pace. I knew it was fast but figured that it was something just under 9 minute miles if I was lucky. To my surprise, I found that I'd covered the distance in just over 25 minutes, giving a pace of 8m 6s per mile. I have never run that fast over that sort of distance!Bad
During the week I started to get pain in my left hip. This is always worrying as I know I have lurking arthritis in that hip. Happily(?!) the pain slowly spread down my leg over the next couple of days, reaching all the way to my calf, which confirmed that it is sciatica and not impending hip joint failure! So that's good news, but the pain isn't. It is worst when I first get up after sitting for a while, but is rather debilitating for a short while (I couldn't get up the stairs this morning!)Good
It was, therefore, with some trepidation that I set out for a run this morning. I didn't know if the pain would hold off long enough for me to get a decent run in, and planned a shortish route that I could walk home from if it got too bad. It was cold, but with a bright low winter sun slanting through the trees. The first half mile felt a bit stiff, achy in my leg and lower back. But it eased as I ran over the cold field, the sun warming one side of me while my feet froze! I stopped several times in the woods to take pictures of trees and sunlight and colour, but was running well and enjoying being out. I soon extended the five mile route to an eight mile loop, and after an hour or so I got into that lovely groove of effortless running, feeling I could go on for ever.
I extended the route with a new loop round a wood that I rarely run in, and headed for home. On the way I knew I was feeling good and that there was the chance for a really long (for me!) run. At a point where I usually turn right off a dirt track (actually an ancient drove road) I decided to run on for a mile, and paced out 800 double paces (which should be a mile*) and then another 120 more to get to a point I could easily identify on the map later. Then I turned and ran back. As an experiment I counted paces on the way back as well, and it was very satisfying to find that I counted 927 paces, a difference of under 1%!
My phone had died, so I didn't have a direct measure of the distance, but figured I must have done something like 10 miles so far, with 1.5 ish miles to home. As I jogged down the hill, now starting to feel the distance(!), I reckoned I could fit in another 2 mile extension which should put me in half marathon territory. (Also taking me over some of the longest hills round here, which was an added challenge/satisfaction.
I got home 2 hours and 28 minutes after leaving home, and had done 13.2 miles. Not fast (but I had stopped for a lot of pictures) but equalling the longest run I have ever done. My second PB of the week!
Thoughts
I have no idea why my form should have improved so much this week. My suspicion is that 5x50 had more of an effect than I'd realised, but it was masked by the overtraining in the middle, and then by the OMM day out!
No comments:
Post a Comment