Unplanned Tempos

Tuesday morning was a tough one for getting up and out of bed at 5:15.

I just wasn't feeling it and would much rather have stayed in bed for another 75 minutes.

"Get your ass up!" said that sometimes helpful, often annoying, voice in my head. "And be quick about it, Doug has a busy day ahead of him and needs his sleep."

I grumbled in my head and tiptoed off to the bathroom, not even bothering to argue with myself that I too had a busy day and could have used my sleep. Instead of arguing, I was making up excuses as I went. Don't even worry about running all 7k. Just do 6k. You prefer even numbers anyway. Heck. It's been a few weeks since you've have an honest to goodness 'easy week' so maybe you should just do 5k. Blah blah blah. Thank goodness I've mastered the art of making excuse while completely ignoring them and doing what I know I should be doing.

I pulled on a t-shirt instead of a tank top because the air coming in the window was chillier than it should have been for a July morning. I ate a date and stuffed some emergency carbs in the zippered pocket of my shorts. I opened the door, shivered, crossed my arms across my chest and shuffled to the end of the driveway. I looked both ways just in case someone else was up, started my watch and headed off.

The first kilometre felt the way it always feels. Slow to warm up. Breath a bit laboured. Legs sluggish and cranky. I kept going knowing it would get better. My watch beeped and I saw 6:35 pop up. The time it took for the first kilometre. Typical for me.

The second kilometre felt the same. My watch beeped and I saw 6:33 pop up. Typical metronome pace on a typical Tuesday morning run.

I kept going and realized I was feeling better than I thought I did. Certainly better than I felt 13 minutes earlier. Perhaps it was the cool morning air? One kilometre later I saw a 6:30 pop up. That's funny. I don't usually get faster every kilometre.

I wonder if I can do it again?

I tried to pick up my pace just a bit. I didn't want to go crazy and then blow up before I finished but a little part of me was curious to see if the early morning speed workouts I had been doing had improved my ability to pick up the pace a bit and hold it.

The next kilometre was 6:28. Good. Let's speed it up a bit more.

6:18 for the fifth kilometre and I was feeling better by the minute. I didn't even have to convince myself to keep going. I just wanted to. Down one street, around the corner, up another street.

The sixth kilometre took 6:11 and it included the only hill on the route. Nothing crazy but I usually lose a few seconds on it. I don't gain them. I even timed the light well and didn't have to stop. Usually timing it right means I get to stop but I was in no mood to lose my rhythm.

The last kilometre felt great. I knew I was tiring but kept going knowing it was almost over.

6:12.

Not bad for a tired girl who almost didn't get out of bed.

Looks like Tuesday mornings might become tempo run days.

It is true you know. The only runs you regret are the ones you don't do.