Our First 10K in Our Pocket

Finally! We finally have gotten back to running regularly.  I have to admit that it feels really good. We are officially over all our ailments and have arranged our work schedules so that there is time to run 3 times a week again.

photo courtesy of pixabay

We started out with the sole intention of just getting back to where we were with running before we took a bit of break in September and part of October, which was running a full hour non-stop. Two weeks ago we got back to running 3 intervals of 20 minutes with 3 – minute walking breaks in between. So the goal last week was to cut out the breaks. Last Monday we actually did it without too much suffering. We ran at night and the cooler weather really helped me get through it. Thankgoodness for autumn. It was really quite chilly walking from our house to the seaside park,  but as soon as we started I think both my hubby and I embraced it whole heartedly. It was a great run. We ran 8.58km in an hour.

Wednesday, on the other hand wasn’t as stellar. I just wasn’t feeling the run. I think a lack of sleep and not getting enough into my body before this morning run were factors that worked against me. I was dragging the entire run. It didn’t help that it suddenly felt like summer all over again. The weather has been truly bi-polar. Some days are blustering cold with rain and days can be like this past Wednesday were, which was humid and sunny. It was actually a bit disgusting. We ran 5 km and took a 2 – minute break. I didn’t think I was going to make it to 60 minutes and it took everything I had to get there. We didn’t make it as far as Monday’s run. We got to just 8.49 km. It’s a little sad in my view, but definitely leaves room for improvement.

photo courtesy of pixabay

Having had time to reflect upon Wednesday’s semi-debaucle,  I think it also went poorly because I am not drinking enough water. In summer I must drink 2 – 3 liters of water a day. However, as the temperatures have significantly cooled off and I am wearing a light winter jacket to stay warm on a daily basis I just don’t feel thirsty and therefore forget to hydrate as much as I should.

Last Friday we went out for a night run. It was probably the coldest day we have had so far. The windchill put the temperature below 10 degrees Celsius.  We wore our jackets down to the park, but decided we would likely be too warm running to keep them on.

As soon as we started running we got looks from passersby that ranged from absolute horror to total disbelief as they gaped at our bare arms and my hubby’s bare legs. I am sure they thought we were totally nuts as everyone else was wearing full on winter coats, hats, scarves, and mittens. It was amusing running past multiple people who followed us with their eyes, mouths wide open.

photo courtesy of pixabay

In the end it was a good decision not to wear the jackets. Only a couple of times did I feel cold when the wind gusts were quite strong. After the run we were quite thankful to put them on. I guess it will take some getting used to the cold weather.

But Friday’s run was exceptional for other reasons. We both felt really good running and instead of stopping at 60 minutes and somewhere around 8.6 km we kept going. At our current pace we figured 10km was reachable if we ran an extra 10 minutes. It felt like the heavy gusts of wind were fighting me at every turn,  slowing me down and making me work that much harder. But it was so nice running in the cold and adding those extra 10 minutes didn’t feel like a huge struggle.

It took us 1 hour and 11 minutes to run 10 km. It is our first time reaching that distance and the fact that we did it without a break makes it all the more satisfying. I am so proud of us for getting to this goal. It has been a long time coming.

So with our running back on track I only have to get back to blogging more regularly. One thing at a time I guess.

Do you remember running 10 km for the first time?