Running fast has its benefits. Yesterday I worked on my speed, the idea of which came from the book, "Run Less, Run Faster," which I scanned briefly at Amazon.com. I plan to get the book, but since I don't have it yet, I'm winging it for now.
After my usual 5-minute brisk warm-up walk, I ran 1/4 mile as fast as I comfortably could. It was quite invigorating, and when it was time to stop, I didn't want to. I wanted to keep going. So after a few seconds of walking, I ran again for about a minute, then repeated. Then it was time to run 1/2 mile, but this time it was uphill. Not a steep hill, but an uphill run nevertheless, and it was much harder to keep up the fast pace. Eventually I had to slow down so that I could keep running.
Then I walked about two minutes, ran another 1/4 mile, walked about three minutes, and then it was time to run the last 1/2 mile. It was downhill this time, and yet, I still found it tough to keep up a fast pace, so I slowed a little in order to be able to finish. For some reason the last half of that run was really tough, I had to push myself to keep going. I tried to remember to have fun, to look at the scenery, and to challenge myself to run "to that light pole," or some other landmark not too far ahead, and then I would look ahead and pick another landmark to run to. As I was nearing the end, I kept telling myself, "Not much further. C'mon, you can do it! You told your daughter to push herself during the Fun Run, now you'd better push YOURself!" I also worked on my breathing, using my diaphragm instead of my chest. And I made it.
16 minutes total of running and 1.5 miles. My pace: 10:39 (if you are new to "paces," it basically means how long it takes you to run a mile). Not a great pace, but it's a start. My goal is to get to at least a 9:30 pace by the day of the 5K race on April 28, which is only 5 weeks and 4 days away now. I'm not sure if I can increase my pace that much by then, but I'm going to try.
Something interesting about yesterday's run was that I was less sore afterward. Running faster actually made me less sore. I did have little mini-leg cramps and mini-charlie horses every now and then throughout the rest of the day and into the night, but none of them were that bad at all, and something new: neither of my knees hurt, and my hips didn't, either. I slept like a dream last night.
Sometime today I hope to have time to do the Ironstrength workout, even if it's later tonight after my daughter is in bed. I don't have the kind of hand weights I need to do one part of the workout, but I will simply skip that one for now until I can get to the store to buy them (hopefully this afternoon while running other errands).
My daughter has been affected positively by my return to running, which I am so thankful for. On my run days, she will ask if I, "did my run" that morning. Then yesterday, on her own initiative, she got on my elliptical machine, reaching as far as her little legs and arms would go, and worked out on it periodically all through the afternoon. She actually did pretty good, too! I wish I could share a picture with you here, but I have chosen not to share close-up pictures of us here being that I decided to make this Blog public (in case there is anyone else out there who might be helped in some small way by this Blog).
Happy Tuesday!
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