New Year, New PB

Despite plenty of parkrun events in 2014, Sunday brought my first actual race of the year. The St Luke's Hospice 10 mile event takes place at the Ford test track facility, near Basildon.
It was the site of false promise in 2012 when I PB'd with a 1:25:36 two weeks before the Silverstone half. I felt that set me up to break the two hour barrier, yet I wasn't able to do so, heat and stamina took me to a 2:01. This year it was just myself running, with Paula attending as my official photographer & support team!
I had no idea what to expect this time around. When I'd put together my training plan my aim was a 1:20. I suspect I was being overly optimistic, an eighty minute ten miler is definitely beyond me at the moment. To do so I would need to run at a parkrun PB pace throughout! Perhaps next year!!!

Pre Run - Cold

The week before the event I started looking at what pace I should try and attempt. A 1:30 would be sensible, 5:38/km pace throughout. The pace would be sustainable, but would it really test me? If I'm going to get close to a 1:50 in Helsinki then race conditions should be respected & I should try to go as fast for as long as I can. With that in mind I started to look at what I'd need to do to get a 1:25. This would require 16km at 5:18 pace. I decided to see it I could sustain this pace.

The Run

It was a cold, blustery morning. I ventured out of the car to make sure my new Garmin 210 worked fine, the Nike had travelled with me just in case. Everything worked just fine so I headed back to the car until ten minutes before the start so I could keep warm. A quick jog back to retrieve my water bottle was sufficient for a warm up.

Inflatable Shenanigans at the start

The start was a bit chaotic, the inflatable Start sign got caught in the wind and kept collapsing on everyone, it was like Funhouse for runners! I'd started my garmin just before the start so that I wouldn't be faffing around with the watch.

Approaching 4 miles

I settled into a pace straight away, consistently between 5:10 - 5:22 a kilometre. I found myself going past people regularly, possibly a sign that I'd lined up too far back, but also an indication that my speed was consistent. The run itself consists of two laps of the test track facility, relatively flat with a couple of gentle up and down hills, the lap then ends with a ten metre climb before easing into a long downhill. The camber of the track can be difficult to negotiate, luckily this was only a factor at the start of the race when the field was still compacted.

Throughout my pace appeared to be in or around where I hoped to be, I fully expected to have an hour in the tank & then a gradual slowing down until crossing the line just before 1:30. This simply didn't happen though, I took on a gel just after 40 minutes & felt good enough at the hour mark to not need another. The pace wasn't dropping off. In fact after the race I thought I'd run a negative split. I went through 10k in 53 minutes & once I'd talked myself up the final ascent I had just over a mile to the end. In fact, the final mile marker is level with the finish line. At this point I wasn't completely sure how many seconds my Garmin was over my chip time, but realised an eight minute thirty final mile would get me close to a PB. As that was the pace I'd been managing throughout the run, it was just a case of keeping going & trying to kick towards the end to shave a couple of seconds off. The winds appeared to be at their worst by this stage of the race, but I was determined to finish fast, rather than slow.

Entering the final mile, a tad windy!

I crossed the line with a 1:25:25 on my watch, a new 10 mile PB before any chip timing is taken into account. Once the official results were published I was even more happy, 1:25:09. 27 seconds taken off of my previous best & an indication than I am getting back to form after a dodgy end to 2013.

A strong finish

New Toy!

The Eat

Whoever placed the Mars bars in our goody bags, thank you! By the time we got to the car I was feeling tired & it was the perfect pick me up. The sugary hit sustained me until I got home & was able to polish off the rest of the home made sausage rolls. We'd been pigs the day before with a visit to The Diner in Spittalfield market. A Philly steak sandwich for me, diablo burger for Paula & some Hanger fries to share (fries topped with caramelised onions, cheese & burger sauce). The fries made the hearty serving of Mac & cheese almost appear healthy!

The Conclusion

I can't help but feel rather satisfied with how the run went. This was the first 10 miler I'd completed (one painful DNF later in 2012) since my previous visit in 2012, the fact is you don't see many events of this distance. Using a Runners World calculator, a result such as this should mean I can expect a 1:53 half marathon. But as I stated at the start of this post, my results in 2012 were massively disappointing after having a good even in Basildon.
This time around, I'm taking the running calculator prediction with a pinch of salt. In my current state, the result was excellent & if I can keep on improving on my pace whilst also adding distance I should be comfortably under the 1:55 mark in Helsinki & hopefully even closer to 1:50.
The result was a nice confidence boost. My long run training has been far from perfect so far this year, but I'm showing improvement.
A final note, what kind of idiot walks straight to the car & forgets to do any post run stretching? Well that would be me, 2 days out I'm still aching! No Natural Hero for me, I brought this on myself so will save the warm ginger rub for when I deserve it!

New stats

Consistent Pace

Garmin Map

Map via another Garmin friendly Android app

A Weekend off

Sometimes a day off can be just as rewarding as a run. I'd had some physio on my calves on Thursday evening to gauge where they were in terms of health. The good news is that everything appears to be fine, my diligence with stretching has paid off and the calves appear to be in decent shape.
We'd planned a weekend away, but to include a parkrun en route. As with all plans there is a degree of flexibility and the need for a lie in meant the parkrun got nixed! I decided to embrace the sleep rather than run locally.
At this point the blog quickly descends into Eat rather than Run.......

The Eat(s)

Our weekend away took us down to the south coast to see how our friends were surviving parenthood. We'd left early just in case traffic was bad due to the weather so found ourselves with nearly two hours to kill in Portsmouth. Having elected against the drudgery of retail we drove to Southsea in search of a cake shop we'd visited in the past on the recommendation of a friend. Thankfully The Tenth Hole (easily found on instagram, Facebook & twitter) is not only still there, but appears to be doing very well and has undergone a facelift.
We were met with a choice of approximately 20 cakes, of which we wanted nearly every single one, but could only take six with us. I think they had a cake to suit just about every taste, there is no way you could leave disappointed. To choose just six was a tough task, but aware of the queue forming behind us we made our selections. 

Cakes!!!

Once we made it to our friends we realised the best way to consume the cakes would be to pass them around, like a wine tasting but with more calories! The six options were: Mint Aero cheesecake, Snickers pie, Coffee & Walnut, Chocolate Brownie, Toffee and finally a chocolate & raspberry creation. The slices were generous and the cakes that good that plans for an evening meal out were nixed!!! I suspect our friend's son will be encouraged to take up golf once he's old enough!!!!
With a meal out off the cards our choice was a visit to the local kebab shop. A dirty burger with oozing burger sauce was just perfect. Sometimes basic comfort food has its place and the burger certainly hit the spot.
We retired to our hotel to finish off some cake and pre mix cans. After a night of broken sleep in a knackered bed we all met up again for breakfast. Full English's all round (we'll forget that one Granola cocktail was ordered), with Paula the beneficiary of everyone else not liking beans! A walk around Stansted House and a visit to the farm shop was required before we could drive home!
Even the journeys weren't healthy as we'd picked up some Peanut Butter fudge sent down from our friend Cat & Paula had raided the post office for cheap sweets & crisps!!!

A pit stop in St Albans also meant a visit to the excellent Tomoka Spirits Boutique. I realised that the gin collection hadn't been invested in since Xmas so it was time to make an addition before it was all packed away ahead of the extension. There were several familiar bottles on offer so I opted for one that I didn't recognise. The bottle of Butler's Gin I picked up is barely branded at all. A new offering from a distillery in Hackney apparently. The taste was exquisite when sampled later in the day.

Some Gin, how unpredictable!

The weekend of eat had a slightly healthier end! I stuffed some Portobello style mushrooms with Stilton, onions, breadcrumbs, bacon. Served with a helping of rocket, it almost made for a healthy meal!!!

The Run

After all of this eating I was thankful to get out on Monday morning. I was working late so was able to take plenty of time. My plan was a 90 minute run, 30 mins of half marathon tempo sandwiched by an easy pace.
In the end I managed 75 minutes, with a decent 30 of increased pace. The light returning in the morning was a bonus here as it didn't limit me to three laps of Stansted. After a visit to Forest Hall Park I was able to run to Elsenham. This is a route I'd not taken on for a while & it was nice for a bit of variation.

It took a while to push the pace, it wasn't until I was 15 minutes into the tempo stint that I was noticeably faster than the easy section. As I headed back to Stansted from Ugley Green it was back into easy mode & found the opposite was now true. It was harder to slow down, once you up the pace you are naturally quicker even when trying to be slow.

I got back to the main road & realised that I could head for home via the northern part of the loop, another route that has been off limits due to weather & light. This meant a 75 minute run instead of 90, but my legs felt good throughout. It was nice to get a reasonably long run in before the Ford 10 at the weekend, whether my pace will be there on Sunday will be interesting to see.

I found myself in a bit of pain towards the end of the run. My inner arch was proving to be painful & for a while after the run both Achilles were sore. The only difference between this run & any other is that this was the first run in the Brooks Pure Cadence. They're due to return to the shop today at the end of their trial. I'm glad I got a long run into them as they felt fine on shorter distances. I don't think they're the right shoe for me, but at least they've not cost me anything to try.

Fun fun fun

Thursday. Tempo Thursday. I'm yet to decide if Thursday is the highlight of the running week, but it does bring a good session of lung busting. My plan on this crisp morning was three sets of 3-2-1's. I think this was the first time I would be taking on three sets, a good chance to push myself a bit further.
The crazy storm of the night before had passed and the conditions were ideal for a run. A lap of the estate eased me in at an easy pace and then it was time to start the tempos. The format is simple, 3 minutes of fast, 3 easy, then 2, then 1. Bizarrely the last minute is the hardest, even though a three minutes segment on only 60 seconds of rest should appear the most testing part.
My pace during the faster sections was excellent, there was only one time when I felt sluggish. These sessions are perfect for building stamina and race pace, you finish feeling pretty spent, yet pleased with the work.

The Eat

One of my Xmas presents was a burger press from Mrs H. We like to bbq and having a proper press makes the patties a lot easier to handle on the grill.
Just because it's not bbq weather doesn't mean I can't work on recipes and ideas. Yesterday I combined lamb mince, onions, beetroot, feta and various seasoning. Served up with rocket, garlic mayo & redcurrant jelly, alongside a side of homemade wedges. Perfect food to fuel the tempo run!

Taking it easy

Sometimes even the best intentions can fail. Yesterday I'd taken an earlier train into London so that I could get to Runners Need E1 for their 8am opening. Normally a venture to a running shop is expensive, but this one was a complete freebie.
I was picking up a pair of Brooks Pure Cadence 3 running shoes. I'd seen a tweet a few weeks back, Brooks had partnered with Runners Need to find some guinea pigs for their latest releases. As I'm looking to move away from my current Adidas Supernova Sequence range once they're spent it seemed like a good idea. Pick up a pair of trainers, test them for a week & then take them back with no obligation to buy.
The early start meant that I'd missed my usual morning run, not a problem though as I'd be in the office early and had a bag full of kit ready. Midday was the perfect time to run, but the weather looked miserable and my schedule meant a later, post 3pm run would make more sense. Typically the moment I had a bit of lunch to fuel the later run then sun parted the clouds! By the time I was next free, the will to run had departed.
I resolved to not let the run just fall into the abyss & headed out the door this morning at 6am instead. The plan was up to forty minutes of completely easy running. That was a good thing as I felt useless at the start of the run! It was like I was sleep running, it took me a good few minutes to shake the cobwebs and wake up.
Once I did I could start to assess the new trainers. The Cadence are the most stable of the Pure range, if these don't suit me then nothing of this ilk ever will. I'd attempted to run in Newton's at the end of 2012 and found I couldn't adapt my running style to make most use of them. In theory the Brooks shouldn't need an overhaul of my technique. That said, I felt they were working my calves and achilles, though regular readers will know this could just be my horrific calves being useless.
The trainers certainly felt nice and bouncy, much lighter than my usual choice. With just 5km in them it's too early to tell if they will work for me. I'm intending to get some speedwork, a parkrun & a long run done before I hand them back. Only a range of different activities will provide a decent amount of feedback.
The run itself was nothing special, one of those mornings when it felt like a slog. Nevertheless, to run is better than not to.

Another positive weekend

It's not often you can look back on a weekend that involved working until the early hours with positivity. Luckily, the weekend just passed had enough of the good to outweigh the bad.
Whenever I work an overnighter I always pack my running gear in the hope that I can take on a parkrun if I can get enough sleep. As a rule of thumb I find that if I can finish by 4am that I should have just enough sleep to make it through a run & then flop out on the sofa later in the day. This was the exact scenario I faced on Saturday. The most sleep I got must have been three & a half hours, but I found myself awake just past seven & felt decent enough to run.

The Run #1

A quick scan of the parkrun A-Z and I found Fulham Palace, a new even a mere half hour (ish) from my hotel. The event has only been in existence for four months and it was nice to find another relatively central venue (Battersea or Hyde park would be nice but unlikely).
After a short brief we were walked to the start line. The run consisted of three laps of the park, heading North to Craven Cottage and then back the length of the park alongside the Thames.
Unfortunately the start wasn't smooth, too quiet for most to hear so many of us was scrambling. Within 200m we were running down the Thames into a significant headwind. Progress for the first 5 minutes was slow, the path too narrow to support the number of runners, many were taking alternative routes. My watch was suggesting a 6:27/km pace, only adding to my frustration. It wasn't until we were off the Thames that the path widened and it was possible to make progress through the field. 

Three laps of hugging the Thames

My expectations are always low after working overnight but I was expecting better than a projected 30 minute 5km and started to find a better pace into the second and third laps. The wind that accompanied the Thames made the run a lot tougher and I was thankful to turn inland one last time and head to the finish line.
I completed the parkrun in 25:06, my gps suggesting the distance was a mere 4.69km, hence the slower pace it was reading.

The Eat #1

Sadly the flooding came to town on Friday morning and this thwarted my eating plans. A trip to Saffron Walden wasn't possible as we couldn't guarantee the roads were passable. Even hopes for a fry up on my return to Stansted were not to be as the only activity in Yeomans was with a mop & bucket. We settled on a local pub. I opted for their signature burger, after all you can't go wrong with a burger can you? Given the tepid patty, dwarfed by a bun made to make the burger appear inadequate & smothered in too much cheese (turns out too much cheese is possible), it appears that you can get a burger wrong. The chips were decent, but no one remembers the undercard if the main event stinks.
Only a bag of Giant Buttons shared with Mrs H was able to remedy the situation. Thankfully my own attempt at a Spanish omelette later in the day ensured one decent meal.

Buttons to compensate for a crap burger

The Conclusion #1

It is rare that I dislike a parkrun event. Yet I walked away from Fulham Palace not overly enamoured with how the run had gone. The result was great, 25:06 my best return since November. It suggests my pace is returning after taking an Xmas holiday. I just feel I should have been faster. I'm normally conservative with my positioning at a start line, knowing that I'm experienced enough to weave through a field. Being a parkrun tourist did me no favours here though. Without course knowledge I was unaware how narrow the first kilometre would feel. Where as I'm conservative with where I line up, sadly many are overly optimistic or potentially deluded with where they start!
I feel I could have been at least 15 seconds faster had I realised the nature of the course. I'll have to return to Fulham at some point to correct this.

The Run #2

Sunday mornings are always a time for trepidation. Will I jump out of bed in pain or not? I'd stretched sensibly through Saturday and found myself awake and pain free ready for a scheduled 2 hour run.
Despite being pain free my pre run procrastination knows no limits so I spent a silly amount of time faffing before making it out the door, kinesio tape on my left achilles just to be sure.
For the third week in a row my long run was taking me to Bishops Stortford. The country lanes I usually run are all off limits due to flooding, running to Stortford beats laps of Stansted! I'd scanned the map trying to find the 1:20 of running I'd need south of the A120 to complete two hours.
I was able to indulge in some nostalgia by taking on the Parsonage Lane hill and then ventured further south around the hospital and into some delightfully strong wind out by Hockerill cricket club. I was tempted to run up to Thorley Hill but my knowledge of west Stortford is poor so I headed through the town centre and back towards Stansted. A hilly detour via Lindsey Road brought me back to Rye St and en route to Stansted. I crossed the A120 once more knowing that I was less than 20 minutes from home but in theory had another 40 left to run.
I turned right into Birchanger and took on another short but sharp hill up to Forest Hall. After a lap of the estate I headed back towards home, downhill to the station and then one last slog up Chapel Hill. I could have stretched out the run further by crossing the road to Bentfield Green but felt spent. I took the sensible option and got myself home.

The Eat #2

A bottle of cookie dough milkshake soon soothed the woes of a long run! This was followed by an evening meal at Paula's folks.

The Conclusion #2

Seventeen kilometres in 1:48 won't be good enough in Helsinki, but it'll do for this point in time. My overall pace was mid 6:10-20/km and I did lose pace later in the run. It is still my longest run in some time & I only took on two gels. Conditions were tough, no rain but plenty of wind to batter you constantly. The pleasing aspect is that I took on plenty of hills.
A couple of rolls on El Bastardo (my lovingly named foam roller) eased my quads and I've stretched out my calves.

Attempting some Kinesio therapy on my shins

Early morning Fartlek fun

I've only been writing the blog for 6 months & yet I'm already struggling for Fartlek related titles!
My second week in the lengths swimming class went better than last week. Nine lengths completed and I'm getting to about 15-20m before struggling to breath. Stamina is building and if I can add another half hour of swimming elsewhere in the week I'll be making progress.
The good news was that I woke up pain free, no abductor pain to concern me. This meant I could head out for my usual Thursday tempo session. I was also free of time concerns as I'm working a later shift this week and the tube strike means I'm better off trying to get in on time rather than early.

The Run

A glance at my schedule suggested a forty minute fartlek session. 40 minutes!! My previous best was 30, so this would be more of a challenge.
I very nearly didn't make it out of my road. As I set off my left Achilles / lower calf was immediately painful. It crossed my mind to abandon the run and rest up, but I persevered and found the pain easing up within a couple of minutes. I'll need to ensure I'm warmed up properly before any races as I probably can't afford easy KM in a half marathon or 10k.
I took 5 minutes easy & then begun the fartlek cycle. In order to get 40 mins I headed up to the Forest Hall Park estate to start some fairly level laps. Three laps of the estate almost completed the allotted time so I turned for home. Throughout my pacing was good, I felt able to push the sprint parts and used the walking sections to rest up properly. It was a good workout and my easy pace to end was surprisingly quick.

The Conclusion

If I could continue this form throughout my training then I think I'll make significant increases to my pace. Once the pace is there I just need to ensure my stamina in longer runs can match it.
Not sure what the weekend will bring, I'm working overnight on Friday so I'll pack my parkrun kit & see how much sleep I get.

Parkrun, Puddles & Pier

Another weekend, another decent return of runs. Having been optimistic last week I woke on Thursday to pain in my left abductor. I knew straight away the cause, on Wednesday I had my first full class in the lengths group at swimming. Three of us were promoted & we all struggled with the change to lengths from three quarter widths. I simply didn't have the cardio, my quads started to tighten, much like post half marathon. All three of us sat out the last set of lengths, in agreement that we couldn't guarantee making it there, let alone back to the deep end! I felt physically spent by the end, my weekly swim takes me as far out of my comfort zone as is possible. Though the lesson was tough, I wanted more and to get better. It was tempting to ask for an instant demotion, but that won't make me better.
When I felt the muscle tightness on Thursday morning I knew instantly it was due to the 10 or so lengths. Perhaps my legs were working better than expected after all! Although I packed my kit for a lunchtime tempo run I quickly recognized that I needed rest. With a big weekend planned I stretched, lunged & slathered on the Natural Hero to coax myself back to fitness.
Our weekend was taking us down to Eastbourne, to visit my Grandma and catch up with my Uncle. I knew there was a parkrun in town so sneakily booked a hotel on the Friday night rather than Saturday. It was only after booking that I checked the parkrun map, the hotel was next to the run!
Given the amount of rain we drove through on our journey south I started to wonder if flippers rather than trainers would be a good idea. As we walked to the park it was clear that most surface water wasn't on the paths so a clear run could be expected.
As we had a hot shower available straight after the run, Paula packed her kit & despite wanting to stay in bed, decided to join me for the run. It would be her first since the Copenhagen half in September, so although she vowed to beat me, getting round was her true aim.
By Saturday my muscle twinge had settled enough for me to run, I was thankful that I'd been wise enough to rest on Thursday.

The Run #1

The sun managed to break through just before the start, for a moment I was cursing not packing my shades. By the time the race director was lining us up the sunshine had been replaced by a hale storm. After unsuccessfully negotiating a large puddle near the start run I found myself running at an angle, trying to avoid the sideways hale shower. Even once the hale had stopped we turned into the wind. The course was a simple out and back, mostly on tarmac. Every time my feet started to dry out I found another puddle!

Puddles everywhere!

Once the course turned we were again running into the wind. I gave up trying to be a steeple chaser and just ran through the puddles.

Out & back in Eastbourne

It was difficult to muster a sprint finish, getting to the end would be sufficient. A 25:59 was nothing special, but I can't recall another parkrun where I've suffered the elements so much. Paula came through with a mid 29 and was happy with her return. 

Paula storming towards the finish

The Eat #1

By the time we ate, we were both starving. After the run we headed to the care home to see my Grandma. You can never guarantee quite how she'll be. At 98 and with poor hearing and sight she can struggle. Luckily she was having a good day and was happy for the company. Conversation can often meander to bizarre junctures, normally dependent on what she thinks you've said. For example, she now thinks Paula works in Iran (am sure I said laboratory)! During a moment when she was describing the lunch options at the home she took time to explain that she doesn't care for the word Yoghurt. When I asked her if she was more of a mousse fan this lead to a chat about Goose!

Knackered bar. Surprisingly nice for something devoid of chocolate

Once diary products had been negotiated we headed to the mecca of Eastbourne, Wimpy for some mediocre comfort food. When a burger is served in a wholemeal bun it's healthy right? Having had just a cashew & date knackered bar earlier in the day, a plate of burger & chips was very welcome. After two trips to Wimpy recently I think I can leave it a while, let the mystique build again!

Man vs Wimpy

After a trip round a rather depressing Eastbourne town centre, obligatory pier visit and amusements we were back to see Grandma & my uncle again before heading north. The trip to the pier wasn't overly wise, high winds made it a bit treacherous, but a visit to the seaside doesn't count until we've lost some money on the 2p machines and got some naff prizes.
Our trip home involved a lap of Ikea to get some more ideas for our upcoming house extension. Mrs H vetoed the mandatory hotdog! I rescued the situation by serving up some Welsh Rarebit once home. A good day for comfort food. 

Welsh Rarebit. Getting better at making this

The Conclusion #1

Reasonably pleased with my parkrun effort. Saturday was not a PB day. I've never experienced elements like it on a run! To get round sub 26 is fine. The course has potential to be very quick in the right conditions. With the location it is perfect for future visits to Eastbourne, especially when Paula runs as well. 

A choppy Eastbourne seafront

The Run #2

My Sunday runs are always subject to fitness. How will I feel when I step out of bed? Luckily this week everything felt fine so I took advantage of perfect weather conditions. Even the sunglasses made it out the house.
With the recent poor weather my long routes are somewhat limited, many small roads are still partially flooded. I headed to Bishops Stortford once more and decided to reverse my route of the previous week & take on the rugby club hill. I was pleasantly surprised with the consistency of my pace, every 5 minute lap appeared to be in the 5:55-6:05 range. This despite putting minimal effort in! I really struggled up the rugby club hill, the GPS confirming why post run. Where as last week the 30m climb was over 1km, from the other side it was 30m climbed in 400m, a far steeper task. No wonder I was blowing by the top of the hill.
As I recovered down hill I decided that as a glutton for punishment I should take on another climb. Once I hit the Hockerill lights I didn't turn left for home, instead keeping straight on to complete a lap of the Stortford Hall Park estate. This is one of my original routes from when I started running. The climb was slow and steady this time, but I did notice a tightening in my calf. Given I was still miles from home I had no choice but to try and run it off.
The calf started to ease as the route became flatter & then descended back to Stansted Road. I crossed the A120 & was still making good pace. I'd taken on a gel at 45 minutes but hadn't felt the need to top up. By the time I turned into my road, though feeling good I also recognised the need to stop. 16km in 1:36 and some change, a perfect 6:00 pace averaged, in fact my later km were amongst the fastest.

The Eat #2

No major eat highlights. Did consume plenty of Frazzles though!

The Conclusion #2

Really happy with the run. Felt comfortable with my pace throughout. One hill troubled me, but I was able to recover. The calf was a bit dodgy but appeared to sort itself out. I've stretched plenty since the run & also had Mrs H rolling both calves in the evenings. A definite knot in my left, delightfully painful when that's worked on! I have some physio next week so will ask for a quick 5 mins on them to loosen up.
I have two more long runs before the Ford 10 miler. This Sunday I'm aiming for 2 hours. The week after I'm going to try some faster pacing, an elongated tempo run.
This being Tuesday and I'd normally be running. Felt tight when I stepped out of bed, with a squash game also lined up I felt rest was a better idea.