Not "just", Not "only"

I have decided that the best thing to do is to chuck out all notion of a training plan for this week and next week and just do what my body is capable of and more importantly, enjoy running for the sake of it. I decided to run this morning because it was such a lovely start to the day. I got into my gear and caught a super early train (06:08) and was off and running at 06:50. I ended up with 8Km in 43:34, so an nice easy 5:26 pace. The morning was stunning, about 16 degrees and a little bit of a wind. The legs felt reasonably good considering, just a little muscle tightness but still no dead leg feeling, thank goodness.

Mucking around with my watch this morning on the train trip in I discovered that I had set up a pacing zone for my half marathon (probably mucking around on another train trip). The zone was set at 4:44 to 5:00 minute Kms, however I had the sound turned off so didn't notice. In hindsight I do remember when glancing at the watch during the race that the display was flashing occasionally to indicate that I was out of zone, at the time I assume it was cross talk from another HRM (I don't wear my chest strap when racing, in fact I rarely wear it in training these days). So I have some extra stats from that to share.
Time In Zone - 60:33
Time Above Zone (greater than 5 minute Km) - 39:11
Time Below Zone (better than 4:44 Km) - 4:57
So from that I reckon I was reasonably disciplined, however perhaps should have remembered that I had set the zones and adjusted it to 4:50 to 5:00 minute Kms and paid attention. I wouldn't turn the beeper on though because it gives me the shits when racing. Maybe I should use it on some Tempo runs to help develop better pacing discipline.

I was back at work today and found my self saying this alot as colleagues asked me how my Marathon went on the weekend, "oh it was just a half marathon" or it was "oh it was only a half marathon". Hold on there Em, it is still bloody hard to race that distance and there is no only or just about it, stop apologising. Peoples reactions are funny though, lot's of Oh my god, you ran HOW far? :-)

The weather is looking the same for the rest of the working week so I'll be catching the super early train and running in the mornings again tomorrow and Friday. Hopefully the legs will give me 10Km tomorrow.

The race photo's came out today, as I suspected mine is fecking ordinary, ughhh, classic Run Yourself Ugly right there, still, PBs don't come easy. On a more positive note I compared it to my Gold Coast finishers photo and my legs look heaps better, really starting to look like a runner now!

Favorite Album
The ABC are polling "My Favorite Album" for a show later in the year. I have been mulling this over for a couple of weeks, so many to choose from. I finally made my decision, Jeff Buckley's Grace. Why?? Well I LOVE Nick Cave, but he has been prolific and is still around to keep recording. But Jeff Buckley put out one brilliant album that still moves me everytime I listen to it, then he drowned so that is all we get. Sure there was some stuff released posthumously, but Grace was well, perfect. Plenty won't agree with me, but this is my choice.