FD#1 and I headed out on our usual walk this morning…the walk has shrunk from the one I’d previously done (about 3km) to a quicker version of 2km. Most of that is alongside a train track, so it means she can run freely and over exercise herself. It is probably cheating, but this way I can hit the snooze button once and keep warm for another 10 minutes. The way she bounds around the yard of an afternoon after she gets let out of the dog run is telling me it probably isn’t enough!!
After a day at work, I was still feeling like I needed 30 minutes on the floor to have a really good stretch, but being late night shopping and having a 45 minute run on the program…it wasn’t time for lying around! (Even if it had a purpose!) I made a quick trip down to the pet shop and buy more biscuits for FD#1, then get money to pay the plasterer! With that all done, I got out the door for a run just after 6pm and it was nearly dark. I decided to do the 7km route (which I am seriously thinking it must be closer to 8kms, because I don’t run that slow!!!) and started off slowly to keep the HR down to 135-142.
As I ran I realised I was smiling and feeling really good. My head was swarming with fundraising ideas as it’s been playing on my mind of late that I really need to get started. This was interspersed with thoughts of mum and how proud she would be of me, and flashes of me climbing trails and running along mountain tops and crossing the finish line. I’d been surfing through loads of pictures from the 2010 Death Race and I was really beginning to picture myself out there. I can feel myself out there, one foot after the other…finally making my way around the whole 125km!! In my mind I have no doubt of being able to do it, and that was what was making me smile. I was also feeling good on the run and kept telling myself to hold back to the HR I was supposed to keep, but it was challenging as I was feeling pretty happy with myself and wanted to run harder.
By now it was dark, which makes it hard to run on verges that aren’t well lit but I persist in attempting to keep off the footpath. Checking on my HR every so often meant that I had to bring the watch up near the chest strap and this automatically lights the watch so I could read my HR. At one of these moments, with head down, I didn’t see the manhole cover in the middle of the footpath and my shoe caught the very lip of it and I went face-first onto the concrete! I ended up on my back, watching headlights go past, thinking I hope someone doesn’t stop to help!! I felt a bit stupid, but I was most worried about landing heavily on my new iPod in the back pocket of my pants…but disaster was averted. I landed heavily on my right hand and knee, but other than that I was ok. I quickly got up and ran on, nothing seemed to be smarting (except my pride) and I quickly got back into rhythm. My smile returned and I decided the tumble was just good practice for losing my footing out on the trails, as is bound to happen. I ended up back at home in 52 minutes…which is why I know that route has to be longer than 7kms as I ended up with an avg HR of 155 (more than it was supposed to be) and I know I definitely do not take 7+ minutes to run a km!!! I am definitely getting a GPS to keep track of pace, distance and HR all at once.
As I jumped in for a quick shower and headed out grocery shopping, I hoped not all nights would be this crazy! Though, truthfully, my life is generally this pushed for time! I like to think of it as awesome time management skills! So all I’ve got left for this week is a 40 minute Fartlek session and a 90 minute run, and 3 days to do it in! There goes my theory of not running on consecutive days. I knew that would have to change, but I thought it would be later, rather than sooner. I finally feel like my body can handle it though aerobically and physically.
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