I'm currently staying at the parents' after spending a lovely few days with them in Madrid but due to the heat over there, which hit 34 degrees Celsius, I didn't get a chance to run. There was plenty of walking in the day but sadly no much needed running or even fast paced walking.
So the weather now I'm back? Nice and warm with a cool breeze. Perfect! So with that the plan for today was a mile worth of running and walking to the swimming baths and then have a nice relaxing dip, but after a quick check of the swimming timetable that plan was well and truly out of the window. The backup plan was the same distance of running and walking but instead through the local woods which I had a good go at the week before, quickly discovering that trekking over rough terrain is a completely different beast to road running.
Right, that was the plan sorted so all kitted up and with a full bladder (snigger) out of the door I went. I first had to call into Morrisons to pick up a few snacks in the form of bananas and energy bars plus a few isotonic drinks. That should have been an instant clue that my brain was subconsciously planning a much longer outing but my body was blissfully unaware. A part of that hidden agenda might have been due to the run to Morrisons which whilst being only half a mile was really tough going. For the record today marked the 2nd week of me running, following the time honoured '3 minutes walking - 1 minute running' routine in which the first week went well but today I couldn't even manage 40 seconds. To say the least by the time I got to the store I was frustrated, angry and the self loathing levels were on the rise. A clue!
Loaded up off I went.
I ran the first downhill section to the river and then started walking at a fast pace along it. By this point I'd given up on the routine and decided instead to just run where I thought I could for as long as I could, making sure to keep up a fast pace in between whilst not breaking myself. Also I was using my Polar HRM to try to keep my heart rate between 80 and 83% where in the past I learnt is taxing for me but not enough where my muscles tire quickly, so pushing the limits of my aerobic zone without dipping too far into the anaerobic zone. Right or wrong I was using my heart to set the pace which hopefully may turn out to be a more effective way of training as when my cardiovascular system improves my pace will quicken, which at least works in theory anyway.
Physically I was pressing forward but mentally I was in a dark place. I've read in books and heard from friends that running/walking on your own leaves you with a lot of time to think and that the road can help work out the brain as much as the body. I was getting a taste of what that meant. I was pissed. Angry at myself. Angry at world. Hell, I was even angry at the hill that I was fast approaching. In my mind the hill was asking "why", to which I mentally answered "because fuck you, that's why", so I ran up it but I ran smart. I quickly learnt that bending my legs slightly lowered my centre of gravity which seemed to help and keeping up the same pace but with smaller strides had a massive effect. Mog tells me that this is called adjusting my cadence which sounds nice and fancy and reassuring. I felt like I was gliding up that hill which made me happy and silenced some of the shouting in my brain. I remember thinking, "so this is what it means to take your problems out on the road".
By this point I had taken a quick break to eat a banana, supplemented my water intake with a few gulps of an isotonic drink and was 3.1km from where I started 26 minutes ago. Finding that out made me feel better and gave me hope of completing a 5k run in under 40 minutes but not being able to run far was still stinging so on I went. I carried on walking along cycle paths and along rough trails that I used to cycle as a young boy. Every kilometre felt familiar, like I was coming back home to something that I'd always known but had long stopped thinking about, until now.
I found myself keeping up the same fast walking pace I'd started out with and soon was on a cross country route that I ran in high school. I used to be a strong cross country runner. I never completed in the fastest time or broke any school records but I always led for the first mile and loved the freedom of running through the woods. I almost found myself daring to dream that I could run that run that route again, only stopping every mile or so to enjoy the view, but then the brain kicked in telling me how much I weighed, how far I'd let myself go. Good timing as another hill was coming into view and I could hear it shouting "why" and my answer hadn't changed.
All too soon I was back at the woods by my parents, completing a loop the local towns and rediscovering old routes along the way.
In the end I covered 14.2 km in 2 hours, 8 minutes with an average pace of 6.6 kph. That converts to 8.8 miles and 4.1 mph. Initially I didn't think that was fast enough and was pretty disheartened but after chatting with Mog she tells me that the average pace for walking over mixed terrain is 2.7 mph which cheered me up. Little things like that is just one of the many reasons I love her. I'm not sure if I could keep that pace for a total of 4 or 6 hours, covering distances upwards of 16 and 24 miles, but I'm willing to find out.
So what have I learnt? Working out the brain is just as much of a challenge as the body and that with every run, whether it be to a set routine or planned on the spot, will help improve my form and my understanding of the mechanics behind how the body moves.
For now though I know I have long way to go, new goals to set and a lot of aches and pains to look forward to in the morning.
http://www.runtastic.com/en/users/david-davies-5/sport-sessions/24508112
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