Great Weather for Ducks
September 2, 2009Great weather for ducks.. and for runners too! Yep, pouring with rain. My first run in proper rain (the drizzle I experienced on my first 5K (3.11 miles) a few weeks back does not really count!)
Unfortunately Steve didn’t get home until nearly 7:30pm today, and I had to do my run today, and it gets dark around 8pm. There are no streetlights on the main part of my run. Still, I decided to give it a shot all the same.
This time I jogged for 0.35 mile to warm up and then walked the remaining 0.15 mile to what I deem “The Start” – the beginning of the trail part of the Thames Path. 1.56 miles along this path is a marker that makes a natural turn around point, so when I do my 5Ks, I run to that marker and back. The Garmin (I love that thing!) confirms it’s a 5K.
I get to the start. It’s already looking rather dim out, and people are quite clearly *returning* from runs just as I’m setting out. Whoops! Anyway, nothing ventured. Off I go.. just as the rain steps up a notch as well. I have to confess it’s rather odd to feel like I welcome rain after so many years of trying to avoid it.
This was to be my last training session before my race on Sunday, so I decided to try out my Race Strategy. This was, loosely, to try and stay under a 10 minute per mile pace for as long as possible with the aim of breaking the 30 minute 5K target which is every new runner’s major goal. If I ended going over 10 minute miles by the end, oh well.
The rain was my friend. It gave me such a boost! Sure, I was still exhausted, but I was going faster and being exhausted. Apart from a few blips here and there, I never once dipped below a 10 minute mile pace. In fact, my average was 9:25! I kept looking at my pace in shock that I was still happily going along a few miles in at that rate.. and my heart rate had not yet gone into the dreaded stars-inducing, dizzy zone 5.
Then, DISASTER!! My shoelaces came undone. I didn’t double-tie them.. never have done before, but I guess the rain made them more slippy. 2.4 miles in and I had to stop to tie the blasted things up. 9 seconds wasted. Then a few seconds later the other ones came undone. There went another 9 seconds. And from that point on, I never recovered my pace. My heart rate flew into zone 5 and my pace dropped by 20-30 seconds. Who knows if that would have happened without the stop? Not me.
Still, the good work was done. It was practically pitch dark when I arrived back at my start point, 3.11 miles later, staggering for breath as my heart rate went 4bpm above the threshold I try to stay under (although the average for the whole run was 3bpm under the threshold, so not bad!). My time?
29:18!!
Yep, I’ve beaten the 30 minute 5K barrier at last! Knocked a few minutes off my previous best time from a few weeks ago too. I would guess that the rain helped a lot, but also probably the nasty interval training I did on Sunday too. I now feel justified in lining up with the 25-30 minute milers at the race on Sunday. I was going to anyway as I was hoping to beat the 30 minutes, but at least I can do it with a clear conscience!
Whether I run so well in the morning and knowing my luck, sunshine, and lots of people in the way is anyone’s guess though..
Well done! I prefer running in the rain too – as long as it doesn’t get slippy … keeps you nice and cool!
Good luck for Sunday – I hope it rains on you again. Don’t forget to double check your laces at the start
It’s usually not too slippy on the concrete or the trail, so it’s fine by me! Grass would be more bothersome though!
Thanks! I hope it rains too, but the forecast is for sunshine.. darn! So long as it isn’t windy, it’ll do though. Will definitely be checking my laces
How’s your running coming along?
Haven’t been for ages – no time! Although have been itching to run a few times. Hope to get out this weekend as my bf has to work and I’ll have spare time, so shall harness up the dog and go for it.
Well done Rosie, and best of luck for Sunday.
Thanks!! And don’t worry, I can only spell mine because I can edit stuff afterwards and the spellcheck is on
cant spell my name!!
It’s not easy finding time, is it? It’s not just the running, it’s the getting ready beforehand. And of course the getting showered/changed time afterwards. It was that which made me go for 2×1 hour runs a week rather than the recommended 4×30 minute runs.. I’d spend more time getting ready and finishing up than actually running!
Hope you manage to get a run this weekend