run #21 1st 6 mile run at 6.6 miles

The thing is with goals sometimes its tempting to have a go a lot earlier than you planned. Today was a classic case.
I was all set to run 5.2 miles but when I could see just how easy it all was I decided to just creep down a bit further. The closer I came to a big landmark the more I wanted to make it. So I did.

My feet were fine up to the landmark. My knee held out as well.

Up to 5.5 miles I'd done two 7 minutes running and 30 second walks. I decided seeing as I was going a lot further I would return down to 5 min runs and 30 second walks. It just made really good sense to do this and it made the extra bit so much easier to achieve as well.

On the way to returning to my starting point my feet were beginning to feel the tarmac more than previously. I figured that I'd made the decision to complete so I did. I checked the feet over at the end and everything looked normal.

This evening my knee is a bit burny but it will pass by tomorrow morning.

Today I passed a guy with his two man team running with the bendy metal C-shaped leg. Just like that guy from South Africa. Quite amazing.

I passed this guy on his bike, and he shouted 'your feet must be really cold'. I just laughed. The shock on his face was great. It was raining and blowing pretty hard when I passed him.

The grass downhill was so slippery I had to really take it easy.

I decided I'd wear my swimming cap in the rain. Just because. It really worked well. Initailly I ran with my prescription sunglasses as well. But they were pressing so hard on my nose from being underneath the cap I took them off.

This left me with having to view the terrain with my short-sighted eyes. They're not that bad. -2.2 but it was a bit of a worry in the beginning. But I seemed to pick up all the bad bits.

So the run meant I was pounding on my pads on tarmac a lot more than I had previously. They held up really well. They are fine this evening. I shall keep them off pavements and hard surfaces until my next run. Walking on grass will be fine.

I was feeling really great after the run. It was for me a personal achievement.

My knee started playing up about 9 years ago. It kicked in like clockwork whenever I tried to run 6 miles. Eventually it got worse and worse until I couldn't even run for more than 7 minutes.

But now I have more information, better techniques and barefoot motion for lower joint impact.

So today it was a milestone to put to bed my 6 mile gremlin from 9 years ago. I will only want to run that route now and nothing less. The 7.4 mile landmark milestone is only .8 mile away now. I should have that cracked easily in the next 3 weeks or so.