Long Run, Short Ride

AM: Run 20K in 1:57:07, Avge HR 149
PM: Ride 10.84K in 27:07

It was just stupidly cold when I got up to run at 6:30 this morning. The smart people would have stayed in bed, but I am not smart people. I couldn't find my gloves, so I headed out in long tri-top and short tights. It was -3° in Richmond at 6:30 this morning, and it's usually a little colder down on the turf farms where I was running.

The plan was twice around the tri-club 10K course meeting up with the tri club for the second lap, but I got out a little late for that, so I had a fair idea I was doing the whole 20 on my own - which I like anyway. For the coldness I was rewarded about 6K into the run. Usually the 10K loop is a boring, charmless run, but there is one section just before the hill behind the RAAF base where it looks Australian rural as opposed to turf farm. I got to this section this morning just as the first rays of sunlight were hitting the frost that covered everything bar the roads this morning. The fog was absent from this area, but covered the hill I was about to climb, and it was just beautiful. It took my attention away from the fact that my knuckles were going numb.

The sun started to take hold in the second lap and it was not nearly as cold (nor a beautiful). I didn't refer to my Garmin much, but I managed to hold the pace to around 6:00m/k throughout. At times my breathing felt laboured, but on the whole I am happy with the run.

This afternoon I headed back out to the same loop for one loop on the new bike that Craig has lent to me. I have to say I don't feel great on it. It is a 50cm frame (I'm 173cm tall), and I just feel like I am leaning over the handlebars. It might just be that I'm too used to riding on a bike that is too big for me, but I alo felt that I rode slower than I usually ride today, even allowing for the 20K run in the morning.

Given the number of time I do this loop, I best show you an elevation profile on it: