Valentines evening and I painted a forlorn picture, trudging along the streets on a windy, wet night. I passed the local Indian & Italian restaurants and, as you would expect, they were all packed to the rafters, windows covered in condensation from the sheer number of bodies packed inside. Not quite how I had planned my Valentines but that was before Mrs Mac had reminded me that she would be in Houston with her work for a month, starting 11th February - just in time to wipe out any plans for Valentines!
Once Mrs Mac was safely through the check in gates I did my, by now, traditional run back from the airport, a run of approximately 15 miles along an old railway line that eventually deposits me back home in Ellon. Despite some fairly dodgy weather the preceding day, Saturday was (fortunately) perfect running weather.
I would be lying if I said I was in the mood for the run so the improvement in weather was, at least, a small mercy. However, those first 3 miles just didn't go to plan. I just couldn't figure out what was wrong until... I realised that I was overheating. It was only February, and the majority of the country lay under a blanket of snow, but where I was it was a balmy 6 degrees and, with this realisation, I peeled off my Gore outer layer. It was like I had freed a caged beast, or at least I like to think of it that way! My body once again felt like it could breathe as I enjoyed the 'freedom' of running in a single base layer.
The remaining 12 miles flowed, one of those 'in the zone' runs where you feel at one with the world. Checking my splits afterwards confirmed it. Normally I would be looking at 9-10 minutes per mile pace, the kind of pace that I would be aiming for (though not necessarily achieving!) in long ultras. However, with my pace ranging between 7.35-9 minutes per mile, it confirmed that today was indeed a good 'in the zone' run and, further, that my efforts at speed work were starting to pay off.
The first time Mrs Mac headed off for work I ran back from the airport and promptly decided to rip up the patio. It was, to say the least, a fairly spur of the moment decision and it was some 3 months before I finally relaid it, laying each slab with OCD like precision. Looking back, my timing could have been better - try explaining your wife's 10 week absence to the neighbours when it coincides with the patio being ripped up! To say that I regretted my hasty actions would be an understatement. Other than the fact it took me 3 months to get around to relaying it (I really did have the best of intentions, I was just 'waylaid'!) I woke the next morning feeling like I had gone 12 rounds with a heavyweight! Whilst the body might have been used to distance running, it certainly was not used to the exertion of manual labour and, specifically, lifting slabs!
I was not up at the crack of dawn the following day. Instead, I had a leisurely breakfast before heading out for an undecided length of run. I settled on 10 miles, taking my mileage up to a new weekly PB of 60 miles. As with my run the day before, the splits varied from 7.30 up to 9.00 and, again, I had one of those 'in the zone' runs.
I am fortunate in that I quite often experience the kind of runs where I feel tuned in to my surroundings. I do like to listen to music while training (generally trance music) but, even then, I still feel connected to what is around me. On one particular occasion I was running along quite contentedly with my headphones in, only to realise that the music had actually stopped some time ago. Again, one of those runs where you feel 'in the zone'. It is not something I particularly set out to achieve, though I do believe that the beauty and the peace and quiet of my surroundings (the old Formartine & Buchan Way railway line) do help me to attain that feeling of satisfaction where everything feels right with the world.
Still, it is always good to mix up the scenery and, with that in mind, I will likely head to Elgin again this weekend, specifically with the intention of getting some long runs done in and around the Quarrel Woods. The woods might not be the biggest of areas but, given the copious amount of trails that lie within the woods, I reckon I can get at least half of a planned 20 mile run done there. On top of that there is the close proximity of the coastal towns and the opportunity for some beach running. Whatever the outcome, it will be a nice change of scenery and an opportunity to run some of my old childhood haunts - something that certainly didn't cross my mind back then!
Happy running :o)
Have you ever felt 'in the zone'? Do you get that feeling often? What do you think causes it? Please leave any thoughts or comments below.