Ups and Downs

I wish I could say this title had everything to do with hills. But it didn't. It is all about poor goal setting and rose-coloured glasses when I'm trying to avoid looking at cold, hard reality.

The goal: 4k at a 5:30 pace.

Oh silly, naïve Laura! Always filled with so much optimism.

I started out alone (at about 5 members and 2 pacers - a 'leader' and a 'trailer', it's a small group!). I also started at the front, weirdly enough. But soon the super fast lead pacer had caught me up to run with me. Good thing, since I didn't know where I was going.

The first km I ran very close to goal at 5:36.
Then we hit a strong headwind. Like, really strong. And we started going up a very gentle hill. She encouraged me to stay with her but all my bragging in the first km about how fast and strong I was going to be blew away with the wind as I slogged through km 2, completing it at a 6:10 pace.
Pride kept me going. I was - after all - at the front! Go me! I couldn't let anyone know I'd burned myself out in the first km and have everyone else pass me now. No, I had to keep going.
The instant my watch buzzed 2k, I gasped "2k" to the pacer.

"Let's do this little loop," she said. "It will be fun," she said.

Gasping for air, heart pounding, I couldn't find it in me to agree. But I did find it in me to keep going.

We passed the other group members - who had wisely turned around at the 2k mark - on the way back. With the hills and wind in my favour I pushed a bit harder and managed a 5:33 pace on km 3.

Then the wind changed directions (I swear, it did!) and suddenly it was km 2 all over again.

"Let's do some extra stairs for fun," lead pacer said. I grunted an excuse about my worry for my recently injured knees...it was after all, both valid and true, and let her do the stairs while I slogged on through the last km.

"Let's sprint at the end," she said, prancing around me after she'd caught up from running her stairs. I let her go on ahead. Some days, I like to 'finish strong'. This was not one of those days!
But I am happy to say that, once again, my knee held out through all the ups and downs.

Distance: 4.50km
Time: 26:08
Pace: 5:48

It was poorly executed, but a start, nonetheless.