Recovery Run

More of the usual for me as I set out early (well 7:00am felt early enough) this morning to do my extended road training run.

The legs were having none of it this morning though. The first few strides determined the rhythm for the run and it was definitely going to be slow. I started thinking of the title for the blogs message for the day, "Recovery Run" it was. From that point on, I stopped forcing myself to go any faster. The left thigh muscle was extremely tight following the race on Sunday and the first 300m were more of a fast limp than a run. This gradually wore off as I headed down to the Seine and ran along the banks of the river. The 2km marker loomed and I looked at my watch - 9:00. Well, this was no real surprise as the pace had felt slow, however, I had to fight the compulsion to increase my stride and my pace. One of my problems is that I'm always trying to improve my times and performance over a given course. This can be stressful and frustrating and it spoils some of the pleasure of just going out and enjoying the run. Today was going to be different. I knew I was tired, so if that meant running 4:30/km then so be it.

Having made this mental note to not push it, I relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the run. The smell of the horses as you run past the stables in the park; the odour of freshly cut grass; the pines that remind me of Branksome Chime when I was little. I left the park in 29:15 after around 6.5km and then it was heading for home, admittedly the long way round and I stretched out a little once I'd passed the church in Le Mesnil and then on the final straight home. All up in 49:24 for 11.1km and no new records but a most satisfactory, relaxing, recovery run nonetheless.