The week after a 55-mile race. The legs are hurting. It hurts to jog easy so I run hard as it hurts the same. Although hard doesn’t mean fast as it feels.

The Self-Transcendence Meadows 1-Mile race is on Wednesday, 4 days after the race. The seed was planted beforehand as Craig, running the double Cateran, mentioned intending to do it.

I set off not too near the front, maybe 2nd row or 1st row at the side, intending to start out sensibly slow. By the time I reached the first turn to cut back diagonally through the trees, I felt hemmed in, and struggled to start to move past the odd person. As I reached the back straight I found more space and started moving past people quickly.

It felt like a race of two halves - first steady, second turning on the speed and flying. As usual by the turn back towards the playpark I was starting to feel it, and the final straight is long and painful. I was in a way happy to have enough in my legs to run hard for my heart and lungs. By the final straight I was feeling it in my upper body, the effort betrayed by my lack of strength - need to get back to the gym!

Finished in 5:13, far quicker than I thought was possible in this condition.