running home

If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. - Lewis Carroll 

I went for a run on the weekend, I am starting to increase my distances so I thought I would go for an 80 minute out and back run. This is not usual practice for me, I tend to do distance runs as opposed to timed. The reason for this is all in my head. You see when I run I find it easier to pace myself and gauge how I am feeling by distance. So off I went for what was meant to be 80 minutes. First thought was run as far away from home for 40min then turn around and head back, so I did. Heading out I felt good, but I had this uneasy feeling of not knowing where I was going or where I would end up. So after 40min I ended up somewhere, turned and started what in theory should have been a 40min run back. On the way back I just felt better than i did on the way out. Running become easier, my stride longer and more confident, my breathing relaxed and even. The return trip took just over 30min, my 80min run turned into a 70 and change but why. I did not intend to negative split the run and was hoping to 40 and 40 it as the purpose of the run was to get some time and base into my legs. But for some reason running home, running on the path I knew, it was just easier. This followed on from the last Tri I did where in the run I felt like a flew for the second half of the run. So why can't i set out with the same intent as i come home with. It is such a mindset, it should be easy. Getting started is not easy to do. Even with this blog getting it started, and each individual entry started can be a real effort. Once at the halfway point though and the turn for home has been made it flows it comes like it is never going to stop, it becomes easy.

We travel into the unknown with caution but if we know the way we can set aside our fears and attack the task at hand.