Mmm, running on Christmas Day. There were just a few people out and about, mostly those walking their dogs. Gloriously quiet and only a little bit of drizzle. I hadn’t actually intended to go out, but then I saw a couple of inspiration tweets from friends, including:

If everyone’s doing it, then I’m in!

I went out very specifically with the desire not to go fast. I haven’t run for two weeks (I did try to go out last week but it was icy and I value my limbs more than my fitness) and it’s Christmas! So, I went slow and thought I could try extending the distance instead. About three quarters of the way through, I got bored with that idea so I sped up.

It’s a pretty shocking run, nothing to be happy about with the numbers themselves. However, I did think it was interesting that I ran it the opposite way to normal - slow to start then speeding up at the finish. I know this is how professional runners manage their events, and it’s all about pacing and the like. I’ve never really tried it before because I’ve only recently been able to distinguish between running fast and just running.

It was interesting, but I think it takes a lot of practice to know how long you’re able to keep it up at the end and therefore when you should start increasing the pace. More to be learnt there, I’m sure.

In other running news, I am in the process of scoping out a run that may or may not be flat which would be pretty fabulous. The hills today weren’t too much of a bother because they were in the bit where I was going slowly, but they are starting to get in the way a little bit. We’ve also had the shortest day of the year so far, so daylight should gradually be returning and I might be able to up the frequency of runs in a few weeks.