Baby it's cold outside

Ran outside for the first time in December. was a little upset I misread the schedule and I skipped Tuesday thinking I'd push on Wednesday. Well, fitness room was closed Wednesday and I spent the afternoon in a bar. Whoops.

I ran today, mid 30s, not awful. Ran my mile route, three times around the block.

1. It's harder running in the cold, but I stayed hydrated more.
2. It's harder running outside than a treadmill, I think because...
3. My stride is WAY longer outside. I was running "slow" and was about a 8-10 minute mile (I meant to hit lap on my phone and hit stop, so didn't time myself the entire way, but it was 2:32 the first lap)

No wonder a mile and some inside seems "easy" at 12 or even 10 minutes,  but outside tougher.

Well, glad I ran, had to push a bit but then of course "instantly" recovered. Need to find out how to work that to my advantage.

PS on the tread mill I kept moving for 3.1. I won't say the time, with two walking breaks, because it was embarrassing.

Well hello again.

Ok, been a while. Generally nothing to note. I joined a gym I am running most days at lunch (plus some core lame weights stuff.

I am still not happy where I am.

But I am getting better.

Today for the first time in 17 years I ran 2 miles. Actually I felt so good I ran 2.25.  Yes, it was a pathetic 12 minute pace.

Still I am recovering fast, even for me. I walk a 1/10th mile, about 4-5 minutes, and I feel ready to go. In fact that is when I push for speed. I do a quarter mile at a 7 minute pace, then another rest and another 7 minute pace 1/4 mile.

And then after I shower I feel ok again. Not tip top but like I could go back. In the morning I feel 100%.

Not sure if i should be pushing myself more, but at the same time the only person to push me is me and I am pretty good at rationalizing. "oh this is three days in a row" and "well you did do something you never did before" and "yeah, but you were feeling sick 4 weeks ago, maybe that is hanging on."

What I'd love is a partner about my level who can say, "ok, sure, quit Mosey, just stay fat and lazy."  Or at least a goal (run X by Y, etc).

Right now, I am doing that myself.

I also ran a nice 8:30 mile the other day. Maybe Monday I will try for 8 flat. I am mixing my meats some days going for speed on the mile and others pushing distance. I know I'll get sucked into a 5k at some point in the new year and I really don't want ot be an embarrassing 30:00 pace (not that I could do that, now).

Hey, ow, that hurts

This new speed thing hurts. I ran (closer to a sprint to be honest, ran nearly a quarter mile in about a minute) tonight and for hte first time since I ran track in High school my legs gave out before my breathing.

Usually when I run that slow pace it isn't my legs that stop me, they just kick into a sore, mechanical rhythm. Once I hit that I am not able to really speed up or slow down. Eventually though my lungs give out and I have to stop.

Today though it was my legs, jell-o feeling and sore I was actually wobbling. When I was done they were shaking. It was good to feel that again. Makes me feel like I am doing something other than wasting my time.

Bonus, running like that I could feel it in my stomach muscles and back.

Running at my pace

Last night I ran a mile and a half, which should have been it's own post. Felt great pushed hard, made it and smiled. But that's gone, new day.

About a week ago, after a pretty crappy run I took the dog for a walk. The dog was hyper and so we ran some half blocks in between her peeing on every tree that still a had a leaf on it.

What I noticed though is how I was running. I loved the pace, the speed. It felt right. My arms and legs and feet were in sync, like clockwork It felt good. No, it felt great. It felt like the speed I was made for. my feet actually rolled heel to toe instead of plod plod plod.

For my mile runs and of course my mile and a half, I run slow. I feel slow. My motion feels stiff, artificial, slowing myself down so I can run distance. But that's not me.

I am not running "to make the team" or to train for something. My goal isn't a marathon or 10 miles or lose some weight. It's a mile. I can do a mile. Now I want to do it my way.

I am running for me. I want to run at my pace then, that speed that feels natural, that feels like I SHOULD be running, not like I am constantly holding back to make it to a line.

Tonight I started over. I ran. My back hurts, tweaked, whatever, no excuses. I can always find an excuse. I ran and I ran at my speed.

I didn't make a mile. I didn't make half a mile. At my speed I ran a quarter mile, and I walked a block and I ran again, and I stopped, and I ran again. I started over like I was months ago, but I did it at my speed.

That is now I am running now. I don't care if I don't run a mile again for a month, I am not doing it until it is my pace again, the one that feels like I am running, like I am made for it.

Mile time: who cares, it feels good this way
Sore: what did i do to my back
Next up: I guess laps around the block at my speed. If I can even make it that far

Wow! That felt really good.

The plan was to run twice around my block, a bit over 1000 meters, "and then some." I was thinking an extra 100 meters or so. I felt kind of out of shape, hadn't run for two days. Just a nice easy run. Push a little don't kill myself.

Brought the iPod for the first time. Put on my favorite song. Found my pace (that was nice too) and ran.

First time around I was still singing along, and breathing through my nose. Felt great. Second time the 3/4 mark of what I planned, felt great. coming around the last corner I decided. I was doing another block. I was going to finish the mile.

Of course it was a bit of a push but it was far easier than I expected. I ran that mile, and then another "short side" of my block. Tired, yes. Winded, not nearly as much as I expected. I finally remembered how to breath again, run again.

It felt fantastic. I haven't run a mile without stopping since I was 18. It is invigorating to know I did something physically I haven't done in over 15 years (no, not that, but it has been a while there too).

Now that I know I am done "getting in shape" I can start "training."

Mile time: Well, the song is 9:35, I missed the first 10 seconds futzing with my glove and pocket and I ran 1800 meters. Somewhere on the good side of 9 minutes.
Sore: back, calves (legs are shaking a bit)

Next up... sprints. I know I can run it, now I need to run it faster.

two in a row...

Still keeping pace. Feeling good, not great.

The best part is how I feel in the little things. Playing with the boys I cna chase them on their bikes down the block and not feel like i need to sit down, even carrying laundry seems easier.

Certainly healthier and with or without a goal that is great.

Need to figure out what I am doing this winter. Health clubs seem like a waste of money (but a set of weights, etc seems nice) espeically the SNAP Fitness near me.

Maybe I'll just buy a used treadmill off Craig's list. I an not putting this effort in to not run until March. Running out of time to decide.

Ran

I hadn't for three days. Cold windy, felt like crap, underperformed, over tired and didn't do as much as I wanted.

But I ran.