Speed returning

I've now started my 10th week of training in the current phase and I had my first objective measure of whether I'm making any progress - and I am.

At the Chilly Chase 10km race on Sunday, I ran my fastest 10k time is more than 2 1/2 years. I stopped the clock is 40.26.

What made the difference?

I think there were several reasons. The first is my new training regime. There's no doubt that my fitness level is higher now than it has been for more than a year. I feel more fit.

Second, I have been working hard on the treadmill to accelerate my run cadence. I'm not there yet but I am moving forward.

One aspect of racing that I've often struggled with is pacing. I attribute it to a fear of hitting the wall far too early, and so I think I hold back. Sometimes I'm conscious of it; others not.

During yesterday's race, my km splits were all over the mark - 4:34 through 2:59 .. now I know I've never run a 2:59 on the track and while I'm fit, I don't think I'm that fast - yet.

I was trying my best to focus on my foot turnover. The 96 strike rate feels awkward at this point though I made a very conscious effort to shorten my stride to assist is speeding up my cadence. I think it worked. I was aware of the times during the race when my mind wandered a bit and I fell back into my normal longer stride.