After getting back to running long(er) on Sunday, I wanted to take it a little easy on Monday.   I was feeling a little sore so I figured 3 laps of the lake path would do.   My mom met up with me and we did the usual warm up walk, which yes I included in my mileage for the day, before separating.   In good news, the bridge is now fixed!  I thought they were taking the bumpy boards out and replacing them with smooth ones, but they put back newer bumpy boards.   Except now I don’t know where these bumps are so I used that as a reason to walk the bridge.  It’s super short anyways so it’s not like it hurt my pace any.    I also tested out the new inserts I had purchased on Saturday.  They were a little awkward, I felt like my shoes were super loose in the heel area.  Even after 3.5 miles, I felt like my right foot kind of liked them but my left foot hated them.

I’ve decided to use my Garmin to track pace and my Nike app for overall mileage.  When it comes to races, I turn the Garmin off after the finish line anyways.  Why I count my warm up for both, I have no idea, maybe I am just weird. 🙂  After finishing my 3.5 miles, I stopped my Garmin.  I looked around for my mom but couldn’t see her so I jogged/ walked back the opposite way figuring I would meet up with her shortly.  I hit the back parking lot and the end of the cement bridge and still no sign of her, what the frak?   I waited for 5 minutes, expecting to see her coming my way but nope.  I then turned back towards the other parking lot, starting to get a little nervous.   Once there, I finally saw her coming the opposite way.   Apparently she randomly decided to walk some of the neighborhood streets and got a little lost- not cool.  😦With running 8 on Sunday and then a few on Monday, I took Tuesday as a rest day for my legs.    I think they appreciated it. 🙂  Wednesday I decided to take my new shoes for a speed work spin.  I planned on a baby progression run.  Mile 1 warm up, mile 2 in the low 10’s, 3 in mid-9’s and mile 4 in the high 8’s, followed by a cool down.    Full disclosure- this is an out and back course with a slight incline for miles 1-2 and decline with 3-4.  This time I met up my mom and the puppy.  Mile 1 went according to plan.  Mile 2 felt comfortably hard which I had anticipated.  What I did not anticipate was my time at mile 2-9:17. Oops?  I wasn’t sure I could tighten it any more to bring miles 3 and 4 faster than that, I didn’t think I had it in me, but I decided to try.  Mile 3 got a little harder, I took a tiny 10 second walk break.   – Clocked in at 9:07, but I was starting to get tired and winded which made me cranky.  I know it’s been months a while since I’ve done speed work but come on.  Mile 4 started with another tiny walk break- .05 of a mile- then I pushed hard.  I was slowed by intersections so I changed up my route slightly to run the back of the path into the river trail which gave me 1/2 a mile without intersections or driveways.  I focused on speed and just kept running.  I took a tiny 10 second walk break towards the end before running through and when my watch buzzed 4, I was so happy to hit stop.  I was breathing so hard I was panting, I actually did the whole bent-at-the-waist, hands on my knees gasping for air pose.   Then I checked my watch hoping for around 8:30- holy crap I just did what?!!! Faster than last week, too!  If I hadn’t taken those 2 little breaks, I would have been in the 7’s!!!!! I then walk/ jogged back up the path until I found my mom and the puppy, stopping to stretch along the way.  Total miles for the day 4.7.

I was never a runner in high school, in fact I managed to get out of PE most of my high school years.   I had it freshman year, and dance sophomore year, got off campus early junior year, and had athletic PE senior- which outside of tennis season amounted to nothing.   Not to say I wasn’t athletic, I played softball and tennis year round but running was not my thing.  We had to do those stupid Presidential fitness tests every year and part of that was the mile.  My fastest mile ever was 7:37, which I remember because it reminded me of a plane.   I half-assed that mile, and now I wish I had tried a little harder.  Who knows where I would be now, hopefully not panting like a dog at the end of 8:05 mile, haha.

Did you ever have to do those fitness tests?  I still can’t do a pull up…or was is a chin-up? 

Ever been happily surprised by a run? 

What are your plans this weekend? 

Happy Friday!!! 

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