This sucks. A next 10k test race ahead in Hakunila, Vantaa (north of Helsinki) on Saturday and there’s a good chance that it won’t be fun. 
The series of 10k races during the late fall and winter of this project was supposed to build up the competitive spirit for the marathon. And by finishing each time a bit faster, it should trigger a positive psychological circle. The limitation to 400 days in this project requires continuous encouragement through visible improvements, especially at this time where we are still far away from a 2:29 marathon level. And now this. It has been cold for weeks in southern Finland, snow has been around as well so that roads are partly covered with it and it’s gradually turning into ice. More snow will come on Friday and the following night to Saturday morning. Therefore road running conditions are terrible. With each step the foot is gliding back or to the sides. Muscles have more to do to stabilize the foot than keeping a good pace.
The choice of running shoes doesn’t seem to help much. The winter running shoes have a better profile, but the sole is still made of rubber and is slippery on ice. Further those shoes are heavy and stiff (=slow). The training/racing Adidas cushion shoe has an even worse profile and the racing shoes we used last time already turn every wet spot on the tarmac into a gliding adventure. It seems that drastic conditions call for drastic measures: my 12 year old pair of middle distance running spikes. Let’s not tell this to my calves …
today’s run: 18.1km easy with accelerations, route & pictures
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