Well I try to be regular and post every Sunday but this week I have nothing to say. No insightful observations or hilarious musings. I’ve had a nasty chest cold this week and have been focusing on midterms and my training. I ran my first 30k yesterday and it was (as I’m sure anyone who has run the same distance can attest) terrible and amazing. It hurt in new ways that I didn’t know my body could hurt. I hobbled a bit this morning but once I got warmed up I didn’t feel too bad. One of the extensor tendons in my left foot got a bit upset at the overuse and is a little inflamed today. I’ve been icing it and trying to avoid fancy footwork (it’s so hard to do).
I ran the 30k at a molasses-like pace of 6:35/km on average. The grand total time was 3:19:20, which must seem terribly long for faster runners but it made me feel pretty good! My initial time goal when I started training for the marathon was a cushy and vague sub-5 hour time. However, after seeing that I can maintain around 6:30/km in training, I’m hoping I can push it for a sub-4:30 time. We shall see! At this point, as long as I cross the finish line, I’ll feel accomplished.
I also got brand new shoes. After the big deal I made after my last new pair, you’d expect a post. However, I got the exact same pair made by the same company in the same colour and size for the same price. They’re just whiter. Here’s a comparison shot:
No there is no shadow on the left pair. They're just that dirty.
The lighting is terrible because I took it at 5:30 in the morning before my run. I knew I was going to hit the trails in the rain so I took the photo before the whiteness could get mudded up.
They work fine, obviously. The tightness may have contributed to my angry tendon so I’ll make sure they’re a little looser for my speedwork tomorrow.
All in all, it was a very regular, end of February week. I hope you guys had a more exciting time of it!
thetortoiseruns 