For those of you who have been reading about my woes recently you will know I’ve been moaning about the agony of ecstasy of running. Tonight is very much about the ecstasy. Despite saying that I wouldn’t risk running much over about 5km, if at all I found myself with a need to go out and do a little 10km run because it was time to complete my virtual run. At exactly 5pm I threw my clothes in my much loved OMM back, changed into my equally loved Hoka and set out to run around the inner circle of Regent’s Park in Central London.

If done correctly the inner circle is 1.06km in length, my journey to the train station is about 4km at it’s shortest route and so off I went, 6 laps then turn off and head into the city.

I ran surprisingly well, maintaining a sensibly slow 5.00km pace and drifted round the inner circle for 6 laps before rejoining the rest of our anarchic society for a jaunt across London.

Unsurprisingly my pace dropped a bit as I was hit by the human traffic, motorised traffic and worst – the traffic lights. However, despite at least 2 minutes of delay I did a little over 10km in 53 minutes. Now this seems slow and that number is slow but given the state of my hips, shin and back I feel pretty good about that.

The Hoka ran well, I felt okay and actually for the first time in ages I actually wanted to go on, I wasn’t thinking about stopping or wanting to stop.

This is good.

Today I’ve left the Suunto at home, I’m going to go and do a few kilometers in my Inov8 Trailrocs to continue breaking them in and hope they are ready for Sundays 10 mile Valentines Run. More importantly fingers crossed I’m ready for it.

Now on a final note and perhaps the payoff for reading my ridiculousness – it might amuse you to learn that I ran my Virtual Run a whole 2 days early and therefore will be repeating last nights exercise tomorrow! I feel a bit foolish but that’s what you get for not reading the instructions – but a slow 10km was just what I needed, thanks Virtual Run!

Have fun runners