Imperfect Pace

My poor body went from basking in 27 degrees of Florida sunshine to jet-lagged bones at the start line of the Chester 10k with the biting British breeze in my face. It was a blessing. I was able to allow myself to just complete the run - with no expectations. It’s been years since I travelled so far that I’d forgotten about the jet lag. I woke up feeling like it was 2:00am, legs heavy from 10 days of 20,000 steps (minimum) a day. I was sensible and my race things prepared the night before - except I couldn't find any safety pins for my race bib, anywhere! I couldn't have done it without m y mum, who supported me by watching my youngest whilst I completed the race. The drive was smooth and we arrived in the area with plenty of time, but, as I'd picked the 10:00am start time, the roads were being closed intermittently to allow the earlier waves through. This resulted in me jumping out the car and getting myself to the start whilst mum darted around to find a car park. There ...

I reached a breaking point today during my run. I’d dragged a heavy head and a lingering cold out to the Breakwater, determined to hit a "28-minute threshold" session because a digital calendar told me to. The run was miserable. My watch was a constant, chirping nag, "scolding" me because my heart rate wasn't hitting the target. I was failing a test designed by an algorithm that didn't know I was sick. The Ant Mill Effect It made me think of an "Ant Mill", that bizarre phenomenon where ants follow a pheromone trail in a perfect, mindless circle until they drop from exhaustion. They aren't going anywhere; they’re just obeying a signal. I realised I had become an ant. I was so busy staring at a flickering number on my wrist that I’d stopped looking at the horizon. I was "optimising" the joy right out of my life, trapped in a digital loop of my own making. The Lesson from Walt I let my dog, Walt, off his lead at the start of the Breakwa...

It's February 4th and if i'm honest, the 'new year energy' has officially met the 'winter reality,'  Getting out of bed before a shift to run in the dark is a mental wrestling match I don't always win on the first round, but it's still a thousand times better than trying to lace up after a long day at the station.  The training team Lately, I've been letting my Garmin's take the lead. It looks at my sleep (or lack of), my heart rate, and my stress, and tells me what i need. Sometimes it's a 48 minute low heart rate run, sometimes its a 'go back to bed' suggestion. When i'm not flying solo, I've got the best - if slightly mismatched - support crew: Walt and Laya. Walt is a seasoned pro who's getting on a bit, so we cap our time to about 50 minutes. Laya has all the youth and  only has little legs so I cap her distance to 30 minutes!  January low-down Miles logged: 88  Favourite tunes: Hamilton playlist, 'Satisfied'...

The Reality Check! When I signed up for this challenge, I had visions of sunset runs and churning the miles like I used to along the back roads of Porthdarfach and Trearddur Bay. I know what it feels like to fly, but right now I'm learning what it feels like to build wings again.  So, the reality? It’s been squeezing in 30-40 minute runs in before a shift or hitting the treadmill on the days we can get gym time. On the odd occasion it's a late at night run while the kids are sleeping. It’s a bit messy, the early mornings are tiring, but every mile is worth it. As well as changing my routine to increase my running miles every week (slowly) I am also changing my mindset. The old me would be focused on pace (min/miles) podiums and Personal Bests. The new me is about consistency, recovery quality and the impact of the charity and mental resilience. I will intentionally not be looking at old data, the rear view mirror is smaller for a reason. Returning to running is like returning t...