Today’s training is an 8K Tempo Run, with a 2 km warm-up at the beginning, an 8 km tempo run where you maintain a specific speed or effort, and a 2 km cooldown to conclude. I started the run early in the evening, around 6 p.m., having eaten well and had decent enough rest. I began the run slow and easy; my lower back was a bit stiff but eased out as the run went on. The run was fun—the key is to stay calm, cool, and confident. The tempo run was supposed to be a little annoying, as you have to stay focused and vigilant about your speed and effort, and it gets harder as the run progresses. The longer you run, your mind tends to slip into autopilot; the point of a tempo run is to keep a hold of your mind and stay in control throughout the entire tempo run.

I covered 13 km while also exploring a new route for future runs. They are clearing the trees, so the road felt a bit larger, and I could enjoy more of the sunset as I ran. The run took around 90 minutes; I’m gearing up to do the 75 Hard Challenge, which I will mention later in a post.

I felt better after the run; the evening weather was cool and encouraging. I love the encouragement from the guided run, saying that finishing the run is no ordinary feat, so that makes what I’ve just done extraordinary. It made me think back to the time I struggled just to run 5 km; now I’ve just finished 13 km with gas left in the tank. I’m proud of how far I’ve come (or run).