Today’s long run was even longer than last week (and that felt long enough..). My schedule said 2 hours 40 minutes at an average pace of 11.12, which was a little daunting. I’m getting into new territory here, I’ve only ever run a half marathon distance, nothing more, until today.
I have found myself thinking about the route to run on and off all this week. Bristol is a very hilly city and I wasn’t keen to run too many hills today. But equally I wanted a route that was scenic and varied. So, I decided to head for Blaise Castle Estate, which is a lovely woodland park, and some cross country running.
Once out of Blaise, along the banks of the River Avon, heading for the harbour. I felt as though I was chugging along but when I checked my Garmin I was quite pleased with my pace. It was a lovely morning, sunny but cold. There were lots of other runners out today, some friendly smiling, saying hello, others pretending not to notice.
Half way into my run I started day dreaming about food. What would I eat when I finished? Scrambled egg, pizza, a nice cup of tea..
The last hour was tough. My legs and lungs started to ache. A niggly pain in my toe, my fingers went numb. But I kept going, surprising myself at my determination to finish the distance.
And then it was over. Such a relief. So nice to have a long drink, eat some food and a little snooze on the sofa…