You Live and Learn

Well, as today was typical Bank Holiday weather ie. wet and windy, I decided to do the run on the treadmill at the gym; the first time I have run on a treadmill for the best part of four years.  Rather than run for a particular time, I thought I would see what I could manage a 10k in.  The other day I worked out that for my 10k race I was running at an average of 10.7kph (kilometres per hour), my fastest 5k at 10.9kph and the one mile time trail in 12.6kph.  So, I set the speed at 10.7kph and off I went.  I seemed to be travelling pretty well so I decided to up the speed to 11kph and again I managed to keep that pace up for a few kilometres.  However, by 6.5k I was really struggling so had to drop the pace down to 10kph and, at one point, I even had to come back to a walk for a few hundred feet.  Going back up to a run, I was only averaging 9.5-9.8kph for the last 3k or so.  Running on a treadmill is much harder than I remember it being.  I'm not sure why, I thought it was actually meant to be easier as the treadmill takes your foot from underneath you but I found it bloody hard work.  Thinking about it it's probably a combination of the heat (I was sweating like a pig by 5k), the boredom factor and the unrelenting fixed pace.  So, it turns out that rather than it being easier, I was actually slower than when running my hilly 10k!  Results for the treadmill:

Distance = 10k

Time = 58:10

Next time I think I will set the pace at a less ambitious 10.5kph and see how I get on from there. 

On Saturday I got Other Half to drop me off in Yatesbury again and I ran back with the dog.  I did consult the map before I left as last time I did this run I ended up going a bit wrong and didn't find the bridlepath I wanted.  So this time, I double checked the map before setting off .... and didn't find the bridlepath I wanted! Treble checking the map when I got home I think I have pinpointed where I went wrong so hopefully it'll be third time lucky.  However, it was still a really nice run, the going was perfect and we covered around 5-6 miles so all good (and the dog still enjoyed himself).