Time Trial

Set out for the time trial that I promised myself I would do this morning. I had the bright idea of doing a 2k time trial at the start of each month a few months ago. The first one was a disaster as it was right in the middle of my health/fitness decline and it took me 11.28 (from memory). I have not wanted to do it since but have decided it is a good way of tracking my fitness and hopefully pushing me to work on my pace a little.

It was about 5 degrees this morning (at about 7.30 as I'm on holidays at the moment) when I set out in a running shirt, long sleeved t-shirt and fleece with trackie pants. I ditched the fleece along the way and warmed up sufficiently to shed the long sleeved t-shirt for the 2k section.

Why 2ks? Basically this is about the best section of reasonably flat even ground with no significant up/downhill.

As some of you may be aware mornings are not the best time for me running-wise. Not sure why but I always seems slower in the morning and it doesn't help that I haven't eaten (although I did have a banana this morn).

Anyway I felt okay and did the first k in 5.10 (looking good) but knew that the second one felt slower (a very slight uphill) and it was - 5.32. All up 10.42. Not too bad, although it would have been nice to keep up the pace of the first one. I had a slight niggle in my right quad from Sunday's long run but otherwise felt okay.

I remembered that I hate to push myself to the point of heavy breathing and feeling like it is too hard. I know that it is good for me to do it, but I guess that this is one of the hardest aspects of running alone. It is very easy to always run at my nice comfortable pace. I guess I need to find a compromise and this was okay. I run because I like the feeling it gives me and I don't want to lose that in trying to get faster, but on the other hand I would like to push myself a little more and maybe crack the 2 hour mark if I do the Sydney Running Festival half.

BTW Scott this morning's temperature is fairly average for this time of year here. We do get frosts so it can and will get colder but the days are usually up near the 18-20 mark. Where we live is a bit cooler than many areas around the mid-north coast, we live in a low spot in a valley with a big mountain between us and the ocean.