Midweek: running home from work

Two runs in two days! This is me doing my best to really get back into the rhythm of at least 3 runs a week. And, at the same time, trying to get over my frustration at how hard I'm finding the 5K distance in the current heat. Basically, I've figured I simply need to up my game and today that came in the form of a longer distance run (7.5km), running home from work.

I'd like to say it felt as easy as the time I ran into work, but it really didn't. And this time, I wasn't even carrying a rucksack. But from the word go, I just felt tired. Not sure whether it was the time of day, the heat (20°C), the fact I'd run yesterday, general lack of fitness, the fact I've had a lot of late nights recently, or some other plausible excuse.

The feeling I had was also reflected in my pace, with an average of 5:49/km according to Google Fit. Slightly depressing, but at least if I maintained that for 10K, I'd be under an hour; 58:06, to be precise. I'd definitely like to do better than that on the day, though. Ideally, I'd like to match the one time I've done for 10K before, which was 56:32 (so said Google Fit) even though that was set in perfect conditions of 10°C and no wind. I'd like to think I'm faster these days in equivalent conditions, so aiming to match it in worse conditions seems reasonable.

Anyway, that's 3 runs in 4 days now, with one of those being well over 5K. Parkrun in a couple of days' time will make it 4 runs in 6 days. This will be my final competitive parkrun before the 10K (I'm expecting to be guide running the day before it) and I'm not sure where to run that will be most positive mentally-speaking as well as practical, given the weather. It's forecast for 21°C at 9am on Saturday, which is insane, so maybe the tree cover of Rising Sun could be useful. Alternatively, a cool breeze at the cost could help, albeit at the cost of being in direct sunlight the whole time. Or if I want to push myself, a trip back to Chopwell Wood would give a challenge while offering tree cover too. Who knows where I'll end up?! 😂 Rest day tomorrow though. 😌

Comments

  1. Mal23 June 2023 at 06:56

    More options for tomorrow's parkrun, all of which would extend my current tourist streak to 11: Prudhoe Riverside, South Shields, or Blyth Links. Prudhoe would be shaded from the sun while the others are coastal and probably a couple of degrees cooler than inland. 🤔

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