Seputeh-Taman Desa Run – 15 June 2011

Distance: 9.53km

Timing: 51:57 min for 5:27 min/km pace

I did not think I could manage this morning’s run after Sunday’s hip nagging race and yesterday’s legs workout. In fact, all my limbs (especially the lats and chest) were pretty much jello from the past 3 consecutive days of workout. When I told Kenny about it (sort of a pre-warning in case I end up in Holland or rather for him not to take me there!), he suggested we take it slow and ease into a 6min/km pace. Sounds good to me since I may have a double session today – adiNation Training Run is this evening (if work does not get in the way). By the sounds of it, I may not be able to “escape” this evening’s group run since Kok Loon said they are going to be there. Oh well, it will be a walk for moi. Literally. Especially since the legs are not that overjoyed at the moment.

As usual, the first km was a warm up and chitchat catch up session and since this was supposed to be a recovery run for me, we cruise along. I have just checked the Garmin and it puts our first km at 6:11 min/km. Oh wow! This is slow recovery pace? Oh wow! We went along at this comfortable pace and feeling good, I pull away around km2. No, not my intention, just that the legs were carrying me through. This went on for the entire 4km stretch at Seputeh, even the hill climb on the way out. I thought I heard him calling out to me at the hill but I cannot be sure since I was practically in my zone and was cruising along. In fact, he did call out to me to tell me he was heading home as his stomach felt wonky. Of course, I only found out after the fact.

Despite my earlier misgivings about this morning’s run, I felt good, comfortable even, running at today’s pace – which turned out to be my fastest for this route! Stoked! Even the 2km hill climb at Taman Desa was not as intimidating as it usually is. I think it was more the mindset that carried me through – I went into this not expecting much and taking it as a recovery run, running at a comfortable (for me!) pace instead of worrying about timing or how the final results would look like on my Garmin Connect or Daily Mile. So so elated!