The Novel Experience of Running an Unfamiliar route

It is amusing that I would be nervous about a linear path that goes from A to B. I am nervous because I haven’t had the race experience yet, although in recent weeks I have experienced two triathlons, once walking, the second as a volunteer, and I experienced a crtiérium a week or so ago. In effect I’ve been in a race context multiple times in the last month.

What I haven’t experienced is a social run that is a race. I’ve done three or four Wake Up and Runs by now, so I am used to these. With the Wake Up and Run I ran solo in Nyon, and with someone else in Morges.

I have been for many, many group runs this summer so I’m used to running with people by now. I run up to twice in a single day, several times per week sometimes.

I know that I can run 8-10km socially, and I know that I can run 16-21km in a single day. The biggest unknown tomorrow is how to equip, whether to be minimalist, or myself.

I suspect that being equipped for trail running is comfortable for me. In summer I’d take very little, but since the morning is cold I prefer to have a bag to store the layers.

I could, and should have run at 16:30 today, to occupy my mind, instead of giving myself too much time to think about things. I didn’t go for social runs, or bike rides today, because more than once “relaxed” runs became fast runs, and I don’t want to be tired ahead of tomorrow.

My goal is simple. I want to run 17.17km without suffering and without fatigue tomorrow. I want to enjoy the route and the new path connecting one town to another.

Running and cycling would push me and I’d rather be fresh. When I have more experience, then I can treat such events in a relaxed manner. I can treat it like the 5k run. This is three times that, and it ends with a climb at the end.