Recovery

This was hard, very hard. You run your socks off the night before, you come back, grab a bite to eat, go to bed and get up at 6:00 am to go running again. The motivation was there. The will to put in the mileage, to improve and to run the lactic out of the legs. But, and this is a big but, your body can only take so much.

I set off tired and close to exhaustion. It's been a busy, wearing week and I was feeling it this Friday. I set off running and decided immediately that there were to be no time objectives today. I would go around the course and be satisfied when I finished. Too bad if it took me 5 minutes per kilometre - I'd just have to have a shorter breakfast and a quicker shower.

My legs were heavy and still full of lactic. They felt as though somebody had poured molten lead into them during the night. I didn't run, I shuffled. I didn't bother looking at the Garmin after the first kilometre but when the second kilometre was beeped by the Garmin slightly too early I glanced at the time at the usual 2 kilometre mark - 9:40. At least I wouldn't have to cut the shower too short...

By the time I began running the 6th kilometre, I'd gotten into my stride. The legs were easing and I was feeling better again. I was running around 4:25/km pace now and I'd reached the favourite place of my run in the park towards Maisons Laffitte castle. The road stops and I'm running down the track alongside the road and the green. It's smoother underfoot with less pressure on the legs and I'm now lengthening my stride and enjoying the stretch. Finally I'm going to be able to enjoy breakfast too.

12.8 km all up in 56:50 or an average pace of 4:26/km. Good recovery.