Week 8 already and today was my first attempt at ‘strides’ (short, fast efforts). They came after an easy 30 minute recovery run which I decided to do around Netham Park. This is where I first started running with a couch25k programme and is nice and flat, perfect for recovery.

There was a definite need for trail shoes on the grass and I had a go at the strides (after a bit of a rest and a stretch) on a compacted earth path with a bit of a bend in it. I may need to work them over a slightly longer distance next time as it takes me a little while to get up to top speed, but it was good to run with a bit of attack. I was very pleased with the pace when I got home and was able to look it up.