A bit of good news. It’s just a run but it has me buzzing.
I have two days off so I thought I’d test myself. A good, middle distance that I often run is 10 miles. I decided to do a Personal Best (PB).
I said (on my running account on Twitter) “Think I’ll do a 10 mile PB today. If the wind isn’t too bad. Neighbour’s gate has been banging. Hmmmm. It’ll be good training just making the attempt. Hahaha, way to backpedal in the space of 280 characters!”
I wanted to do 6.48 m/m pace, but was willing to settle for 7.00. My PB being 1.11:12, average of 7.07 m/m.
I set off at a reasonable pace, 6.47, then slowed slightly as I got into the wind, 7.01, then 7.05. Then I got into a nearly 2 mile stretch that always funnels the wind and it was killer. I was beasting myself to try and get my pace down from 7.40. I clawed it back to 7.30 then 7.26.
In those two miles I knew I’d lost it. I couldn’t make up a minute of lost time. I was nearly killing myself just to keep a bad time, I had nothing left to pick up the pace for the way back. The nagging voice in your head that is always telling you to stop was shouting “YOU CAN’T DO IT! MIGHT AS WELL JOG THE REST!”
I ignored it and pushed on, just to try and get a good time, if not PB.
At 5 miles I turned around, legs burnt out and lungs on fire, and suddenly the wind wasn’t stopping me!
6.58, for no more effort! I can do this! 6.52, 6.52, 7.00, 6.58!
I did it in 1.10:42, average pace 7.03!
A new 10 mile PB and a 10K PB along the way!
I get people telling me (rightly) I’m too negative about my achievements, but I am honestly chuffed to bits with this one. Not so much the time as the not quitting, and giving it everything, even when I knew it was a lost cause. I usually just accept a PB and think I should have done better. This one means something. Again, not the time, I fully intended to smash that next time out, but in those conditions…
I don’t know. I don’t think I’m expressing it very well.
Let me just say that was my best ever run and I’m pleased, possibly even proud.
Also, it’s given me a real boost in my confidence. If I can do 10 miles in those conditions, at 7.03, it’s not too much of a stretch to run 13.1 at 6.48, surely? (My intermediate goal of a sub 1.30 half marathon.)
Anywho,
later,
Buck.