Sometimes Rewards Work Better Than Guts for Running
A story about how 'ice cream after 15km' made me get serious in the second half
I intended to wake up at 6:00 AM and run 20km, but when I woke up it was 6:30. I started at 7:40. But since it was my day off, I started with enthusiasm for 20km.
Started at 7:40, goal 20km. I started sweating as soon as I began running, but my heart rate didn't go up that much, so I had a good start, perhaps because I was able to run the first 1km at 5:40 with a heart rate in the 140s.
I stopped once after passing 11km. It really was hot! I knew that if I pushed through it, I would collapse in the second half, so I honestly took a break. After that, I walked and ran slowly, and in the end, the distance was 15.45km, average pace 5:28/km, average heart rate 157bpm, time 1 hour 24 minutes 25 seconds.
The reason I was strangely fast only in the second half, that was ice cream
Looking at the laps, the first 1km was 5:44. From there, it continued around 5:30 for a while, and then suddenly 5:13 for the 1km after the break. After that, I kept it in the 5:20s and didn't slow down until the end.
The reason is simple. I decided, 'I'll eat ice cream after I run 15km.'
I think runners will understand the phenomenon where your legs suddenly start moving the moment you see the goal (which in this case was a convenience store). For me, a reward right in front of me works better than stoic willpower.
I kept my promise about the reward, and then there was an unexpected second round
I bought a Giant Cone and barley tea at Lawson and kept my promise. After taking a shower and feeling refreshed, I ordered a ginger pork set meal at a nearby local Chinese restaurant, and although it was supposed to be a regular size, it was completely piled high. It's hard to tell from the photo, but the rice was piled high, and the ginger pork was about three servings worth.
It was a dish that went beyond just making up for what I ran, to the point where I even built up a surplus.
I lost to the heat and cut the distance short, but it was a weekend where I finished the ice cream and ginger pork.
Running and eating is the best ☺️