Count Down to OZ!

• Mood Before: Anxious to get it done
  
• Energy Before: A little better than the rest of the week
  
• Weather: Sunny!
  
• Distance Required: 9 miles
  
• Music: Ellie Goulding - Run to the Light and Tinie Tempah - Discovery

The Run

I was feeling quite nervous about this run and as I laid in bed this morning I had to will myself to get up and get going.  The sooner I went the sooner it would be done.  Luckily when I opened my blind I saw that it was a beautiful day without a cloud in the sky, so that definitely made it easier to get going.

The main reason for my nerves was that my shin has been really playing up again this week on my treadmill runs and it was aching a little bit when I was laid in bed last night.  I massaged in some freeze gel before bed and popped a couple of nurofen before I headed out for the run.

In an effort to make me feel like a runner again I put on my Great North Run tech shirt in the hope that it would inspire me to move dem legs!

Last night I planned out a nice route and in true Laura style as soon as I left the house I scrapped that route and decided to run into town and along the canal path.  My first minute of running went a little bit like this:

Why am I doing this?

I hate this?

Everything aches!

I could be in bed right now watching Bondi Vet!

There could be a Joey on the brink of death and I am missing it because of this stupid run!

I hate running.

It was joyful.

But then I got into the swing of things, into a nice rhythm and it started to feel better.  I also passed one of my colleagues who also runs and I was so glad that it was at the start of my run where I looked vaguely normal, as opposed to the end when I look like a beetroot!

Every single run I have done up to this point has been an absolute struggle until the midway point.  It doesn’t matter what the distance is I just hate the first half, however today’s was the opposite.  The first half flew by and the second half really dragged. Odd.

Once I got into town I realised why I didn’t normally run this route as I got stuck behind slow walkers and smokers. Gross.  Once I hit the canal path my legs were really pleased to be off of the concrete for a little while and I had the honour of having a fly past by the ducks :)  I misjudged my turn around point so for the last half mile I decided to come off the path and run past my old flat.  I haven’t been back their since I moved out over 1.5 years ago and I realised why as soon as I got to it.  It made me shudder and I remembered how much I hated living there.  I was so pleased to run on by and I decided never to go back there again. 

I finished the run in 1hr 40 which isn’t too shabby :) There was a little walking but in comparision to my last set of training runs (for the GNR) I am like an epic endurance runner!

Fail moment was when I realised that I need to get the bus back home, but I was dressed in just a short sleeved t-shirt. I got very cold, very quickly!  I rushed to grab a milkshake and the only one I could find was a slim Fast one.  Typical that this is one of the only times I am happy to stuff my face and all that is available is some horrific diet shake.  Seriously how can that be classed as a meal? 

By the time I got home I was soooo cold and smuggling peanuts! Once in the shower it took me ages to warm up and my nips felt like they had frost bite (tmi?).  Lesson learnt!

Happy happy happy with this run.  I am now in my compression socks and icing my shins :)