Great Run

Following on from my last post, I'm just back from a great run - in total just over 100 minutes of continuous running (albeit at a fairly easy pace). It's my longest run since the Reading Half marathon and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I'd bunked off GAA training this evening and figured I may as well try and get a long run in. After my previous bad runs, I didn't really know what that meant, but I set off optimistically with a target of 100 minutes - it's a nice round figure which I tend to find easy to break down into sections.

I also chose a route that basically meant I was committed to at least 10km (unless I fancied a swim across the river) to deter me from trying to sneak home early - I find you have to use all the mind tricks available :) That route is actually my (current) favourite route in Cambridge - down via Grantchester Meadows - a well known route. As is usual around Cambridge it's flat as a pancake and you usually see a few other runners about - not tonight however - think they were all watching the Champions League semi final.

So, 7km into the run, I'm going well and it's looking like the 100 mins is on so I turn away from home and go up toward the university library, with the plan of getting in the only hill in Cambridge (about 1km further on) before heading for home. At the top of the hill, all is still going well, so I start to push the boat out slightly and soon enough I'm back in town, with just 20 mins left on the watch and a straight road home.

At this point I seemed to alternate between a minute or two of hard running followed by some brief recovery (slower running) but overall felt comfy enough. I made it home in 1hr 41mins for a total of 15.4km (6m 33s per km | 163bpm average). Absolutely delighted with the run.