Still skippy

Happy skippy legs!

Today, I ran a 5-mile tempo run that actually had a bit of a tempo!  According to my training programme, it was to be the same as last week's tempo run - a 1 mile warm-up, 3 miles at 10:00/mile pace, and a 1 mile cool-down.  I wasn't sure what to expect after my tired legs on Tuesday, but they seem to have recovered.  The first mile felt relaxed at 11:00/mile pace, and the next mile...well, I ran a 10:00 mile for the first time in YEARS!!!  I was so excited!!!  I would have stopped to do a Happy Dance but I didn't want to risk sustaining a dance-related injury.

My left achilles tendon wasn't so thrilled, though, and let me know that with a couple of twinges towards the end of the mile.  I think that this was related more to overstriding than to the speed; as soon as I went back to a shorter stride, the twinges stopped.  Nonetheless, and as proof that I have learned from previous mistakes, I consciously decided to try to run the next mile at 10:30 rather than Keeping To The Plan At All Costs.  I also was fully prepared to slow down even further if my achilles kept twingeing.  I am So Sensible.

But that 30-second difference made all the difference.  No more pain.  Mile 3 was in 10:29, which is even more impressive (to me) when you take into account that the last half of that is uphill.  Mile 4 was in 10:19, also impressive (to me) as the first half of that is uphill.  And, just to round things off, the cool-down mile was in 10:42.  I'm not sure that I could have run all three miles at the target pace, but I'm satisfied with what I did anyway.

I finished the 5 miles in 52:45.

There's not much more to say except, 'Wowzer!'