Monday’s with Jessica [Ep 64]: Long Run Home

This week I finally got to do my long run on Saturday. Most weeks through the winter I complete my long runs before school on Fridays, as I have football on the Saturday morning, this means I wouldn’t be able to have time to run beforehand as-well as football being very tiring on the body and would be too tired to complete after, or if I completed it before I wouldn’t be able to give my 100% in the game.

But nearing the end of the season I have three more weekends before this can become my normal again, this week I had a bye meaning I didn’t have a game. I took this advantage to sleep-in a bit on Friday and Saturday as I didn’t have to wake up at 5am to run.

Having this extra time I also wanted to run a different route as it can become very repetitive doing the same week after week. I got my Mum and sister to drop me in Paeroa and ran through to Waihi along the rail trail where I met up with them again at the end for a walk.

This run didn’t go to complete plan and was definitely a test on my mental strength as I decided to not carry my phone to have less weight. As soon as I started to run and my Mum drove off, the rain pelted down, with the wind directly in my face making it ten times worse. It felt like I wasn’t moving, I was cold as I hadn’t warmed up, and the end was far from near. I wish I had my hat so it could keep the rain off my face and eyes but I also left that behind, having no phone meant I was stranded until the end of the run with no way home.

The only way was to keep running and so I did, the rain was on and off for the first half and the wind started to ease, by the second half it was just a cloudy day and minimal rain which I was pleased as it would have been extra hard if it stayed horrible the whole way through, saying that just as we jumped back into the car the rain came back as it was at the start and stayed making me grateful I was no longer out in it.

The run overall was really good, I felt strong and healthy, and with a different route and scenery it made it more enjoyable as well. I guess it’s not a bad thing to run in the rain incase I need to be prepared for a race day following the same pattern. I just have another three weeks of early before school starts before I can keep trying new routes too keep it interesting. 

– Jessica Bray