Morning runs along the Yodo River

I started running along the Yodo River at the end of August, mostly because the gym near my flat closed for renovation and I was too stubborn to pay for a second membership. Six weeks later the gym has reopened and I have not gone back.

The route is simple: down to the embankment, north along the bike path to the second bridge, and back. It comes out at roughly eight kilometres, which is long enough to feel like a proper run and short enough to fit before work.

What actually changed

The first two weeks were miserable. My pace was slower than I expected, and the humidity in early September made every kilometre feel like two. Around week three something shifted. I stopped checking my watch every few minutes and started noticing the herons instead.

The best runs are the ones where you forget you are running.

By week six my average pace had improved by about forty seconds per kilometre. More importantly, my resting heart rate dropped and I sleep noticeably better on running days.

Practical notes

Go early. After 7:30 the path fills with cyclists and school groups. Bring water from October onwards too; the vending machines near the second bridge are often empty on Sundays.

Next month I want to try extending the loop to the third bridge and see whether I can hold the same pace over twelve kilometres.