After strength, conditioning and speedwork yesterday, today was my first session of actual training miles for NYC. A 5 mile tempo run, for which I treated myself to the Gunnersbury parkrun winter route, plus a mile or so before and after.

My tempo pace is supposed to be 5k PB pace. I didn’t quite manage that but I am counting the session as a win for several reasons:

• I managed the first 3 miles in 28:12, which even allowing a minute for the extra .1 would be better than recent parkrun pace. And I did 2 more miles on top. Win.
• The heat didn’t beat me. Win.
• Despite having stitch in three places at one point, I kept going. Win.
• I managed the tiniest of sprint finishes. Win.
• It was a 5 mile PB, by nearly a minute! WIN!

I’m feeling good about this first run for New York. I feel happy, strong and determined. This was a good start. There’s a long way to go, but I got this.

If my maths is right, that’s 0.95 of my total training miles done already.

Practically there really.