Today was a busy day.
I sent my kids to school in the morning, got my broken phone fixed, attended a meeting, worked in the afternoon, and by the evening, I already felt tired.
There were many excuses in my head.
Maybe I should rest today.
Maybe I am too tired to run.
Maybe I can run tomorrow.
But I decided to go outside anyway.
My goal was not to run fast.
My goal was simply to run slowly for about 30 minutes and keep the habit alive.
Here is the key Garmin data from today’s easy run.
| Category | Metric | My Data |
|---|---|---|
| Run Summary | Distance | 5.41 km |
| Run Summary | Time | 30:38 |
| Run Summary | Moving Time | 30:31 |
| Run Summary | Average Pace | 5:40 /km |
| Run Summary | Best Pace | 5:12 /km |
| Effort & Load | Average Heart Rate | 144 bpm |
| Effort & Load | Max Heart Rate | 151 bpm |
| Effort & Load | Training Effect | Base |
| Effort & Load | Aerobic Effect | 3.1 |
| Effort & Load | Anaerobic Effect | 0.0 |
| Effort & Load | Training Load | 79 |
| Running Dynamics | Average Cadence | 177 spm |
| Running Dynamics | Max Cadence | 192 spm |
| Running Dynamics | Stride Length | 1.00 m |
| Running Dynamics | Vertical Ratio | 8.1% |
| Running Dynamics | Vertical Oscillation | 8.0 cm |
| Running Dynamics | Ground Contact Time | 252 ms |
| Impact | Actual Distance | 5.41 km |
| Impact | Impact Load Distance | 6.47 km |
| Environment | Average Temperature | 27.2°C |
| Environment | Estimated Sweat Loss | 510 ml |
| Feeling | Perceived Effort | 2/10 Easy |
Key takeaway:
Today’s run was not about speed. It was about showing up even when I felt tired.
Compared with my previous tempo run, today felt much easier. My average heart rate was 144 bpm, and Garmin marked the training effect as Base. The training load was 79, which was lower than my previous run.
The interesting point was that my actual distance was 5.41 km, but my impact load distance was 6.47 km.
Even on an easy day, my body still experienced more load than the actual distance alone suggested.
As a runner in my 40s, I think this is important.
Some days are not for pushing hard.
Some days are for keeping the habit.
Some days are for running slowly and finishing with a little confidence.
Today was one of those days.
I did not feel fresh when I started, but I felt better after finishing.
That may be one of the biggest reasons I want to keep running after 40.
Not every run needs to be fast.
Not every run needs to be long.
Sometimes, a simple 30-minute easy run is enough.
Running After 40 
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