The Zone

As part of the 12wbt I've decided that on either Saturday or Sunday my cardio workout is going to be a long run.  While the challenge hasn't kicked off yet I decided that since I wasn't sore from my first pump class on Friday night that I'd attempt 10km today.

I'm proud to say that I managed more than attempting it - I did it and I think I could have done more.  The route I decided to go started with a nice and easy 1km run from our house to the bottom of a large (in my books anyway) hill.  I have walked this hill a few times in the past and that used to be enough to have me out of breath.  The worst part of this hill was 1.2km section that rose almost 25m.  I wasn't able to run the whole thing but I gave it a bloody good attempt.   The incline then decreased, but rose about another 28m until the 4.2km mark.  Strangely enough by the time I'd reached the summit (OK a bit of poetic licence) I was felling rather good.

After another hundred meters or so I entered the much talked about "Zone".  Its hard to explain, put somehow running seemed to be almost effortless.  The background music on my iPod was almost non-existent, my pace was consistent and even when I started to hit the smaller inclines I was able to keep going without slowing.  My mind was almost blank, I didn't even have to concentrate on my breathing, everything just flowed.  It was like a perfect mind/body connection.

I did discover that traffic signal and other intersection did somewhat disrupt the flow but within a hundred meters of the hiccup I was back.  I only wish that running was always so easy.

I finished my 10.29km (and yes the 0.29 is important) in 1:26:07.  I'm am now ready to sign up for the Gold Coast Marathon 10km event.  I had be reluctant to do it due to the 1.5hr cut-off and automatic removal from the course but that's all in the past now.

As I sit here typing this my muscles are starting to feel rather tight and I'm starting to dread the stiffness that I know will come in the morning.  With that thought I bid you good night and good luck with finding "The Zone".