Had a great 10km run tonight

I am a very slow runner. There are a number of names my type of running is known by:

• slow running
• slow jogging
• Lazy Running
• Tired Running

They all more or less mean the same thing - that I run slow.

I kind of plod along, with heavy steps, while everyone else looks like they are sprinting. I can run "fast", but usually I cannot keep it up for very long.

Running barefoot, using the Vibram Men's FiveFingers KSO has smoothed out my running, but I am still running slow (I am running slightly faster than I ran in shoes, but relative to everyone else I am still slow). OK, no problem. That's life. I am a slow runner. Big deal.

Tonight I got in a very good run. I just felt like I had to get out there, and break out, let loose.

I went out planning to keep the run relatively short - in the 9-10km range. I just ran 14km the other day after a few weeks of no running, and I felt like it was smarter to do a shorter run next.

So I head out and after about 1.5km I notice that I am running hard - much stronger than usual, and a pace that was faster by about at least 25 seconds per kilometer than any of my runs over the past few months. I figured that perhaps it was because it was the beginning of the run, but I would not be able to sustain the speed.

I kept it going for another kilometer or so, when I hit the massive Yarden-Dolev hill. I ran up the hill, and while that always slows me down considerably, tonight it only slowed me down a bit. I ran hard and conquered the hill faster than usual.

When i got to the top, I decided to turn in to Nahal Dolev with is a circuitous street that is relatively flat. The circuit of Dolev is about 1.5km. I ran the circuit twice, knwing that the perimeter run I was doing is only 4.9, and it would be too monotonous to do the perimeter twice.

After finishing two circuits around Dolev, I turned back out to the perimeter and ran back down. Getting to my starting point was still only at the 8km mark, but I was still feeling and running strong and fast the whole time. I knew I was on pace to finish 10km faster than any of my more recent runs, so I decided that I wanted to hit the 10km mark for the purpose of logging my 10km time.

I still could not believe that I had basically kept up a tempo pace for 8km, including a large hill.

So I continued straight, and ran another km out and then back, concluding the 10km at 58:55. Still slow, but faster than any of my recent runs, especially when the runs include that large, and steep, hill.

I felt good, knowing I kept the faster pace over the course of the whole 10km run. I could feel it in my legs that I was pumping harder and strengthening muscles to the point I usually do not. They will definitely be sore tomorrow.

I would like to get a long run in later this week, maybe Thursday morning or Friday morning. I would like to do it breaking 21km. I need to start increasing my distance now to be ready for marathon training season, just to give me a realistic shot at doing it.


Vibram Men's FiveFingers KSO