I've been feeling a bit down today. Think of Eeyore... just a bit blue. Nothing specific; the children are getting scratchy now we are heading towards the end of the summer holidays. I'm not looking forward to them going back to school, nor am I looking to Husband going back to work and putting in 50+ hours each and every week.
My planned run today was a tempo run. This meant 5 minutes warming up, 20 minutes running at full speed, then 5 minutes cool down. I went to see The Boss this week to celebrate my sub 60 minute 10k (I even got a well done - high praise indeed!) and he altered the plan to run 30 minutes steady.
I have a very dear friend who is a fitty. She seems to have forever had a good level of fitness and could turn out a 20 minute run without so much of a bead of sweat. I tried running with her and another fitty friend last summer but they demolished me and I couldn't run through the knee pain I had at the time.
When I started the Couch to 5k 6 months ago, we ran together. Well, I say ran.... What I mean is that I puffed and panted for the planned 2 minute jog and then tried to talk during the 3 minute walk! I loved spending time with her and chatting, but I was also a bit embarrassed that I was so desperately unfit. The 20 minute session was a mere warm up for her, but she was full of encouragement and praise which was so kind.
We ran together a few weeks ago. I wanted to be pushed, I wanted to do my best so I asked her to give me a hard time, and to run at her normal pace. I will never, ever forget how hard that run was. I was so determined and I didn't quit, but I thought my body might give up before my brain did! Again she was full of encouragement, telling me how well I was doing and to keep going, when all I could say was "Oh my God" as I desperately gasped the next breath. As I laid on her lounge floor, not sure if the white light ahead of me was the Pearly Gates or just hyperventilating, I told her that I loved her and hated her in equal amounts...
So, who better to run with for a mid-week tempo run? Yes, you've got it - my super fit, fast paced friend! I jogged down to her house to meet and set off from there. As soon as we started, I commented that I'd forgotten how fast her pace was. She is incredibly light on her feet too, which I am a little jealous of as I heel-strike hard. Actually, I think I run like a baby elephant!
The negative thoughts hit me hard, and very soon into the run. The 'I can't do this, This is too hard, This is too fast, I can't maintain this pace, I'm crap' train of thought ran through my mind, bulldozing any belief I had in myself. We were running fast, so covered quite a distance in a short amount of time. She must've read my mind, because she was as always reassuring and encouraging and being able to chat helped allay my fears.
The rest of the run went well. I kept a check on the pace we were running at on my trusty Garmin, and took confidence from my friend, knowing that I was keeping up, knowing that I wasn't working so hard that I couldn't speak and that I couldn't have done this on the infamous "I'm dying" run. We tackled the big hill that I've only been able to get up once before, and for the first time we were both silent and focussed on digging in so we could get to the top without breaking pace.
Coming downhill again was surprisingly difficult. It was hard to maintain a good pace without flying off and risking life and limb on the undulating paving slabs. We finished off with a little sprint to her house, and a cheer as we reached the end of the run.
Running with someone much fitter is a daunting task. I have always referred to her as my 'fast-paced friend', but something clicked tonight. It isn't just my friend who is fast. It is me too.
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