What's next after my Couch to 5k? Its a run for my Birthday and finding my new running challenge

Today’s run was meant to be a simple birthday 5K around Malahide. What it turned into was a lesson in pacing, perception, and how treadmill running can quietly mess with your sense of speed.

I’ve been doing a lot of my recent training on the treadmill. Controlled pace, steady surface, predictable effort. Taking that same pace outdoors felt comfortable at first… too comfortable. By 3km in, I realised I was running at a speed that would have taken five minutes off my personal best, and it was never going to last.

This run explores the difference between treadmill running and outdoor running, how overpacing happens, and why fitness doesn’t always translate cleanly from the gym to real-world surfaces. The final 300 metres on soft sand at Malahide Beach completely drained whatever energy was left, stopping me from completing the 5K and underlining the lesson perfectly.

No PBs today. Just honest feedback, recalibration, and another reminder that running well is about restraint as much as effort.
If you run on a treadmill and take it outside, this one will feel very familiar.

This is LookingForMyBestLife where I try to see more, do more and experience more.
This video is a new adventure as part of my love of walking, cycling or travel.