Post-cardiff10k blues + my biggest post-race positive

I suppose it was inevitable after enjoying a race and setting aside the poor (for me*) time that I would get around to thinking about the time. So it was that a bout of the post-race "I could do better" blues set in. It could not have gone a lot better on the day of the cardiff10k but somehow I started with the "what if"s and it was all downhill from there really.

Yes I is my second slowest recorded time for 10k but given the year I have had and the weight that I am now carrying after so many comfort eating snacks could I really beat myself up about it? Well, yes, because my body and my brain knows how it feels to go quicker (for me*).

It took a couple of days for the blues to strike so I had a goodly while to enjoy the glow of enjoying the event. What I am left with is a fresh resolve, and the very real feeling that I should not expect miracle returns to old event times.

The truth of it is that I have tried to change my running form and the I am still in the transition period (or so I tell myself). That I completed the whole 10k in mass participation crowds of enforced pace changes and avoided the inevitable possible collisions of big group running without breaking form was perhaps the biggest single take away from the run.

I have now the half marathon in two weeks two to try and build into. The main aim there will be to come away with the same big achievement - will I be able to run 22+k without falling back into heal striking?

* I know all times are relative and that speedier and slower runners alike will be cross with me unless I try to set things as far as I can in proper context.

Time, meh! Complete, yeah!

In the end I completed my seventh Cardiff 10k in good shape, and even with a reasonable negative split. The time was not special and I am really not that bothered as it was just a huge buzz to get out there running in a crowd. A time of 01:00:59 represents my second slowest recorded 10k, but I simply am not bothered. I find myself wishing that I could bottle the post-race buzz and save it for the likely dark phases of the half-marathon in under three weeks time.

Post-race 'glow'

Five runs in a week while on holiday - well not quite!

I am well versed now in the ways of holiday running, packing the kit, making sure my running shoes are included along with run watch, hat (!!), bright clothes, and snood (mostly for carrying and wiping sweat away with rather than wearing as a warming device). So this holiday I was absolutely ready, and then it seemed so was the rest of the family which was an interesting twist. Our two kids wanted to join in and come for runs too.

Although I hadn't managed to Google Earth the place out fully to find routes, the area looked like it might produce some good loop runs and when we were driving in it certainly looked better than I'd hoped... so did I run five times in a week? Well yes, and no... I did three of my own (one longer, two shorter) and then there were two extra ones each with a different offspring along for the journey. The two accompanied runs were frankly just brilliant fun, non-stop chatterboxes all the way around a simple yet varied 2k loop. So varied was the loop it included pumpkins, sheep, goats, friendly sheep dogs, lovely ponds, and rather fabulously no cars.

Run on holiday - a change is as good as a rest!