Running With Jack

Last night at 5:30 I jogged the 4K/2.5M to the trailhead where my running club runs. I planned on running an easier paced run, as I am still recovering from my HM, so asked the regulars that I run with what pace they were planning on running. Most said they also wanted to run an easy pace, so I decided to run with them. The first kilometer was indeed an easier pace then normal, but true to the nature of the group the tempo began increasing shortly after this until we were running at 5:00/K (8:00/M). Ignoring my bodies signals to keep it slower, I plunged on with the 5 runners.

We lost the first two at around the 4K point, I guess they were smarter then I. This seemed to spur the other 3 to an even faster pace. I hung with them for a few more minutes until I finally got the idea in my head that I was overdoing it a bit, e.g. I have a marathon in a week and a half. So I reluctantly slowed down a bit and hoped the other two would catch up. They never did, I ended up finishing the 11K run alone. The three fast dudes finished the 11K loop in around 53 minutes. I wandered in at 56:23, for an average pace of 5:08/K (8:15/M), which was almost a minute faster per kilometer than I had planned on.

I was sure to take it nice and slow at I ran the 4K home, but I knew the damage was done.

This morning I feel the error of my ways, my quads are toast. But now I have two days off until my next run, an easy 14K/8.7M-er. I am seriously considering not running with the running club next week, the rabbits are a bad influence on my recovery ;-)