Today, I decided to go for a run just for fun instead of following my training plan, which was supposed to be a 12k tempo run. I found myself procrastinating this run and putting it off; one reason is the rainy weather recently, and the other is probably my mental state from the last run, which was too dreadful.

I laced up my trusty UltraBoost and headed to the park, starting off slow and easy. The evening weather was nice after a light rain this afternoon; the air was cool and inviting. I was running through the park at night, seeing families having fun, couples going on dates, and students hanging out, still in their uniforms. I took it all in and decided this would be a recovery, enjoyable run. I didn’t care about the numbers on my watch—distance or pace—just enjoyed the moment, putting one foot in front of the other, running for the sake of running, taking in the fresh air and the music. Thoughts of work and other responsibilities came and went. I didn’t accomplish much else today, but I understand that some days, the only thing that makes sense is the run I’m currently running.

I covered 8.5 km in 1 hour and 10 minutes—very refreshing. I enjoyed every minute of this run and can’t wait to run again. I should do more of these relaxing runs outside my marathon training plan.

I tried out the new earbuds today, the Soundcore R50i NC. They’re on the cheaper end of the brand but have an IP54 rating, which should hold up to sweat and be more durable compared to my most recent running headphones, which have an IPX4 rating and it has passed away after the previous run.