Rob's Running Blog

10k on a sunny Sunday – 1hr 4 minutes 37 seconds

Got up quite early and put the Virgin London Marathon on the tv. Noticed it was sunny outside. The elites finished their races in the time it took me to fully wake up, drink coffee, and eat breakfast! But I was quite inspired to try a run in the sun.

Splashed on the sun cream and donned my shorts and blue Nike tick running top. Went out and let the Garmin find a signal, then set off feeling OK but a little weird, having not run since the precious sunday. I ran through Victoria park and then out through Dane Bank. Was wondering if I could make 5k at that point as felt a bit puffy. At 2k I felt a jolt of pain in my hip and back but it just seemed to be a spasm and went away – and at that point I started wondering about running 10k. After all, I have done quite a lot of running lately and maybe my approach has been a bit hyper cautious – it’s not like my legs will have softened up or anything. I was getting hot at 5k and glad I had taken a bottle of water with me, took some sips after I got delayed at a road crossing, and had doubled back so I could go down the road that leads back to one of the main roads in and out of Manchester.

Safe in the knowledge I had my trusty travel pass with me I kept going, feeling the heat, feeling it in my legs, but keeping going. I thought if the London Marathoners could do 26.2 miles today, I could managed 6.2 🙂 I got a bit lost, took a sip of water, and ended up in a very cosmopolitan part of South East Manchester… running through Levenshulme and into Longsight I had a burst of speed and then had to slow down, staggered over a kerb then got my balance, and eventually crawled down to about 12 minute mile pace, but I did it, I had run 10k… I jumped on a bus and eventually got home, after noticing a parade of mocked up London buses going bast the roundabout at the Manchester Apollo…

And I realised that today was also the day of the Bolton 10k, where I got that awful injury a year ago that ruined all my running plans for so long. It was as if I came full circle, and back to full form.

The Great Manchester Run is only weeks away and I know I can run the distance now. Just need to take it steady and see how close I can get to around 55 minutes. Have also entered the City of Manchester 10k in July, and spotted one or two more local races. Feeling good now!