Spring has finally sprung here in the southern hemisphere, and oh my word, I’m totally loving this sunshine.
Of course, winter still has to have its last hurrah, and there have been a few frosty mornings. Keep those gloves and thermals handy, as you may still need them.
That still doesn’t mean I’m not going to dust off those shorts and singlets, because today the sun is out and we will need them for this running date.
First up, I’ve made the decision to ditch the Polar running plan. I found it had no variety when it came to the speedwork days. The interval session was simply 5 minutes fast in heart rate zone 4-5, then 2 minutes recovery in zone 3. Then repeat 3-4 times. EVERY-DAMN-WEEK. Yeah, there was no doubt I was going to get bored with that.
Instead, I’ve switched things up and have selected another Operation Move training plan. The plan I utilized for Canberra pushed me out of my comfort zone. My new plan will challenge me even further, running 5 days a week instead of 5. I figured it would fit in nicely with my RED September challenge, but also get me race-ready for the Goldfields trail run in November.
The other bonus is that because the SAAC season has ended, I can now make my long run days on Saturday instead of Friday. So, winning!
August Running Statistics
Distance – 157km
Total Hours – 26
Longest Distance – 16 km
Number of Activities – 26
Personal Best– 5k 21:50
Overall Running Statistics
Total Moving Distance – 1356 km
Monthly Average – 169.5 km
2018 Prediction – 2034 km
When I look at that 2018 prediction, I think ‘Na, surely not’. Yet, at the same time, I know how much I’ve put into my running this year, and I know I will smash that goal.
The realization came when I went and visited Parkrun recently.
It was a ‘Naked’ day. That meant running with no watch, or technology. Not being aware of that prior, I still ran with my music. Instead, I decided to not look at my watch and run by feel, estimating my pace.
Settling into the front of the pack, I fell into an easy rhythm. Running hard, I kept a solid pace throughout, crossing the line in a time of 21:50. Needless to say, I was shocked. This was a course PB for me.
The best part was that I felt like I had more in the tank and that I could have gone faster.
Crossing off a sub-22-minute 5k, felt amazing. The next challenge, is to bring that time goal down to 21:30. While I may never obtain a sub-21, I will have fun trying.
Happy Running!