Good Run, Bad Run?

I considered not going out this morning. Yes I had my new shoes to try out, but it was also pouring with rain and it looked like that was going to hang around for another couple of hours (it did...) Fortunately, I summoned my inner ninja and knew this was a chance to toughen up a little. Previously I'd only run one day in some light drizzly mist but this was proper, English rain.

And of course it's not so bad once you get out and get used to it. I'm usually pretty damp by 5 minutes into it anyway.

My goal was to use the Stepping Stones podcast to up my pace a little. It plays music for you to run in time with at 150 bpm for 15 minutes then up to 155 for ten minutes and a last five minutes at 160 bpm. This was the first time I'd selected my own goal after working a pre-planned programme, and also the first time that I failed to meet it. I just couldn't keep going past 27 minutes.

I was cross with myself for about a minute and then chilled out. This was the first time I'd not done what I'd set out to do in 28 runs. 1 out of 28 ain't bad. And maybe my goal was too much of a stretch. Also I did run for 27 minutes at a steady pace around 11:30 minutes per mile which is faster than I've done - a whole load of personal records today.

And the shoes are much more comfortable and supportive. I can feel where I've built up hard patches from wearing sloppier shoes and my ankles and knees felt much easier.

So I'm set for my first parkrun on Saturday. I will be happy to get round and cover the whole 5k in one piece. I'll be super happy if I can make it in less than 40 minutes.

No such thing as a bad run!