Running From The Cold & Lucky With Lights

Monday 2nd February
Run #33
5k Loop over the Tracks & Through Town

I expected this one to be a trial. After a fairly pacey parkrun on Saturday and an arduous and hard-fought 18k on Sunday with legs of lead the plan was for the briefest of nods to a run: a token 2k round the blocks and home to do sitting. But as soon as I got going I felt good. Not energised; my legs still felt pretty heavy and the air was freezing but, right out the door I managed to set a good clip.

The first long downhill gave me good opportunity to get my pace up and try and get the blood flowing. It felt like a race against being claimed by the cold and I wasn't going to let the weather win. It wasn't snowing but the air smelt like snow and was certainly as frigid. So I edged my cadence a little higher than usual to see how quickly I could run myself into some warmed up muscles.

As it was, when the road levelled out at the railtracks then sloped back up again I managed to hold onto my pace. It just felt good tonight and I couldn't not take advantage of that. I am not terribly good at 'The Plan' when it comes to running; when I hit one of these unexpected runs where everything seems to be feeling good, I rarely have the discipline to ease off (in much the same way as I rarely have the discipline to push harder on the struggle runs either - which feel like they occur far more frequently!)

Opting not to cut the loop short where I could have I took it back along the high street. I don't think I have ever had a run that has crossed so many roads and got so lucky with the lights and traffic. Not one side road produced a car and only one set of lights wasn't green to pedestrians as I hit it. Even the level crossing rose before me like the parting of the red sea. And that never happens.

5k felt so much shorter than the average parkrun though this route ending on a 26m climb over the last k ensured I didn't break any records. It was still the fastest I've tackled the hill home though, and I arrived feeling good, if very ready for a long hot shower.