The last easy one before the start line

Two days before my first race, and this was the last easy run before I toe a start line — so I kept it exactly that: easy. Lots of walks, lots of them, no pushing, no proving anything. The only jobs today were to loosen the legs and give the new shoes one more honest test before Saturday.

Both boxes ticked. The 880s were comfortable again — properly comfortable, the kind where you stop thinking about your feet entirely, which is exactly what you want from a shoe. Two good runs in them now, no rubbing, no surprises. They’ve earned their spot on the start line.

And the walks today weren’t a compromise — they were the plan. Race week isn’t the time to dig into your legs; it’s the time to arrive fresh. So I ran gently, walked generously, and finished feeling like I’d barely spent anything. That’s the point. Save it for Saturday.

There’s a particular calm to a run like this. Nothing to achieve, nothing to chase — just an easy loop, good shoes, and a body that’s been cleared and cared for, ticking over quietly before the big day. The hard preparation is behind me now. The chiropractor’s happy, the shoes are broken in, the legs are fresh. All that’s left is to show up and run.

Tomorrow I rest. Saturday, I find out what a start line feels like.

Two days. Easy legs. Let’s go.