Yeah, I was falling a bit behind on the reports there. It has been a bit busy but I prefer my writing to fall behind as opposed to my running. I'm happy to report that I have been running all this time despite my not reporting it. Sadly, what I have not been able to do is race. I have been looking forward to race again after my first race, the Popular 5K at the end of August. (Race recap here) I wanted to do Susan G. Komen's Race for the Cure 5K in September and injury prevented that. Now the Bayamón Board of Realtors 5K went by yesterday and a work thing prevented me to run that one. Not exactly happy about it if you know what I mean. I wanted to run at least 2 5K's before my cruise, where I will race the Castaway Cay 5K but it has been impossible. I basically have one more chance to at least do one. I will keep you posted.
My running on the other hand has been pretty good. Despite missing some runs, I'm posting some great times. I'm not going to say fast times but better than what I was doing before which means improvement. As long as we keep moving forward, all is well.
Tuesday, October 2 - 4 miles:
This run sucked but only because RunKeeper shot down somewhere along a mile and half and didn't notice so I don't know what my time was. This is the second time this happens and I was pretty upset for some reason (it shouldn't be that big of a deal should it?) But still, a run is a run.
Thursday, October 4 - 4 miles:
OK, this time RunKeeper worked so everything was fine. LOL Actually, I was pretty happy because my time was almost 3 minutes less than what I normally do when I run 4 miles. I usually hang around an hour and six minutes and have been pretty consistent in the time so this was a welcome surprise. 1:03:24
Sunday, October 7 - 4 miles:
Kind of hit a snag here. I was planning to do 5 miles here but ran out of gas. A little self-analysis post race made it obvious as to why. I ran way earlier than usual and the sun was still shining bright. It was on me pretty much the whole way and by mile 3 I had the distinct feeling I was overheating (kind of like an engine). Plus, following a usual theme in my running, I started to fast. I had to stop twice and walk the last hill and by mile 4 I decided to stop. Despite that, I finished only a minute behind my previous run which was a PR. See? It proves I was running too hard. Long runs are about taking it slow and easy. Even walking for a bit, I managed 1:04:18.
Thursday, October 11 - 3 miles:
The weather was crappy all week and this day was no exception but there was a break in the rain and decided to try a run. Since I was going to try a shorter run just in case and was pressed for time, I figured why not try for a 3 mile PR? I have been running some good times right? Well, WRONG! Even though I felt like I ran pretty hard (harder than usual) I ended up with the same time I usually do. Don't get it. My guess is I slowed down somewhere and wasn't paying attention. 46:48
Friday, October 12 - 4 miles:
The good thing about "bad" runs is that they help you appreciate the good ones even more. The next day after running those baffling 3 miles, I run a great 4 miles, well below my average again. I guess my body is getting used to running longer distances. Also, I'm having a lot less trouble running on consecutive days so that is also great news. 1:03:41
Tuesday, October 16 - 4 miles:
OK, this was - how do I say this - THE BEST RUN EVER! Wow. I felt great the while way, had a pretty strong pace, the hills were no problem and did my best time ever.Hey, I even sped up on the downhill sections. ( I usually use those to rest after going uphill) Man, if I could take this run and bottle it... wait. I did have one of those Monster energy drinks a couple of hours before the run. Could that be it? I don't know but I can tell you I felt like a million bucks the entire way. Could I be running 4 miles in less than an hour not too long from now? 1:02:42
In other news, I have been invited by an up and coming running club to go run with them. So far I have ran by myself, mainly to avoid embarrassment as I'm so slow. The prospect of running with others sounds fun but I don't know... Should I wait a bit and improve my times first? I know everyone will be very supportive and tell me I'm doing good but I don't want anyone to fall behind because of me. Any feedback?
You should run with someone. This will help you on working to set a higher pace. When I run against someone I usually run better just because I want to run faster than him. Once you beat the first guy you aim for the next one. For me this works a lot, I guess thats why they say its 80% mental 20% physical.....or something like that. Keep moving forward....I like that (Meet the Robinsons - I saw it last night) Sooo keep on trucking primo Im wishing you the best.
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