#RunTheDate May 15th – 15km. Trying to Ignore Halfway in Time is Not Halfway in Distance

Much as I’m trying to hold back, I can’t help but celebrate getting to the halfway mark with some charts and numbers. I’ll keep them to the minimum I promise and keep it mostly about today’s run.

Incidentally it was a very pleasant run at least from the outside. Sunshine, light winds, visiting the local villages. Inside my paranoid head, my calves felt quite tight today. Any other day I’d not give it another thought but I can’t help clinging to the slightest sign that my legs are getting tired.

The sensible side of my brain suggests three consecutive mainly child enforced pre-6am starts mean I’m quite tired. My face probably suggests that too. Today’s run also immediately followed a walk in the woods with the family. All of these would cause my legs to be more tired but I enjoy being all doomsday about it. Bottom line is I’m fine but it’s a sure sign that the runs are now way past the trivial, ‘getting it done’ phase.

I know you’re getting impatient. I hinted at something close to a science report and this has been anything but so far. I wanted to set the scene first. The fact my legs are fine but the runs are becoming more noticable is important when we look at how much is to come.

Halfway then. 15 runs done out of 31 in total. However, we’ve only done 120km of 496km. Yikes. Below shows the cumulative distance over the month coloured by the days I’ve done (green) and those I’ve not done (red)

It shows how much we’ve got to go yet. I think I’d rather just think of it as being roughly halfway through because we’re 15 days in with 16 to go. One positive of this is how neat my monthly distance chart looks and will look by the end. Below shows the current monthly distance (orange line) overlaid with last month’s distance (grey line). Last month was a fairly typical month.

I’m weird enough that it’s worth doing this challenge just to get a neat distance chart like this.

These are all good reminders that I need to be taking it easy on my runs. Those of you who have followed the previous few days will know that I’m very aware I need to slow down. Today is absolutely no different, as I again opt for a comfortable pace rather than a deliberately slower pace.

This stubborn recognition of needing to slow down will have to result in my actually slowing down soon so it doesn’t come back to bite me in the next two weeks. If that chart above doesn’t emphasize that enough I don’t know what will. Either way, if I don’t run tomorrow’s run slower than today, you have my total permission to throw rotten veg and insults at me if I happen to pass you in future. At a safe distance of course.

Downhill to the 31st from tomorrow. That must mean it gets easier now, right?! Ha, right.

Thanks for continuing to keep track of my progress, you all deserve a prize. It should get more fun now as it begins to hurt. Fun for you. Not fun for me. Good job I love it really.

Usual reminder of why I’m doing this:

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/tomfanthorpe2