Back on Track (I hope)

Today I ran 15 miles mostly with 3 and 1 intervals. I felt so much better than last week right from the getgo so that I feel much better about walking last weekend. It was the right thing to do.

I started from the Dog Park on Longford Road at 6:30 ish. I wanted to try to get 6 or 7 in before meeting the group at 8:00. I also wanted to make sure I was at the group meeting spot before 8. I ran the first segment using 1 mile run and 1 minute walk. I felt like I was struggling with that so I switched to 3 and 1 intervals for the second segment. I think the struggle was more mental than anything else. My pace was fine - actually should have been a bit slower. I was still obsessing about so much missed training days in the beginning. Once I got past the first three miles I loosened up and let that go and felt much better. My average pace for both segments was the same and that's why I think the 'struggle' was all in my head. I made it back to the group meeting spot with 10 minutes to spare having completed 6.91 miles.

It was great to see so many of the group out again today.
It was a gorgeous day for a run or walk.

Everyone had different miles and methods in mind and off we went. I went out with John T and Kristen R. Kristen brings my total to 10 people I've spent 1 mile with since March 1st. We ran 3 and 1's for 7 miles - out to the 4 1/2 on the Perkiomen Trail and back. Bless their hearts they stayed with me even when I started to slow down at toward the end. We didn't talk much just enjoyed the company and the sounds of sneakers squishing crushed stone.

Back at the parking lot John T stopped. He had planned 7. Kristen wanted to do 9 so she kept going to the 0 and back. I was going in that direction as well to return to my car at the Dog Park but I left her to go ahead. I continued 3 and 1's until I got to 15. I didn't turn the watch off right away so my total is a bit more than that and the last .19 was walking. There are two segments here because I messed up starting the interval timer on the Garmin. I only just discovered that I could do that and I'm still getting used to it. Here is the first part and the second part.

Overall I felt pretty good through 13 miles. The last two were less enjoyable. I chalk this up to two things. I need to go out slower (my average pace for the first half was 11:46 with walking intervals that means my run intervals were too fast for me) and a little bit to the illness time off. After I got to 15 today, I thought for about 5 seconds about continuing my intervals back to the car. I still had a mile and a half to go to get to the car and quickly nixed the idea. I was done. I had promised myself 15 for the day.

Now the big question is what to do next week. The group is doing a point to point run from the NW Ave end of Forbidden Drive to Lincoln Drive, across the bike path on Lincoln Drive to Kelly Drive and down Kelly Drive to the Art Museum. It's about 11 miles to Lloyd Hall and another mile if you do a loop around the Art Museum. Am I up to doing 20 next week? Should I go out early and do 8 then the point to point with the group? Right now, I'm thinking I will try for that. The danger is that I am not ready for 20 and will fall apart before I get to the end. I guess that's the worst that can happen and I can always walk to the end if that happens. The best would be to make it and I have to try.

I'm getting anxious to finish 20. Generally, 15-20 is where I hit my breaking point. My legs were really tired today after 15. How much of that is long layoff? I have to start finding some positive thoughts between now and next Saturday.

Keep smiling and keep moving. And thanks for reading this.

I'm off with my granny cart now to walk to the Acme for some produce. It's too nice to take the car.