It was the perfect weather for running. Slightly overcast and about 55 degrees with no wind. I debated taking a jacket with me and ultimately decided against it. Okay, it was more like in my quest to remember everything I needed to do to go run I forgot about it but it turned out fine.
During the half mile walk over to the college, I decided on my goal of a 5K. I had no goal in terms of time, just wanted to test my legs and see if they still remembered how to run. And they did! After a nice, easy two laps only maybe a minute slower than what I would normally run I realized, as with my feeling that I needed to log some miles in July, I had to run this first mile. By the last lap I was breathing heavily but I did run, and again only about two minutes slower than what I would do when I was in my best shape.
And it was easy to push myself to run that first mile and to run most of the rest as well. While my physical fitness has definitely slipped during the ten weeks I did not run, I was happy that my mental fitness has not. I was tired in that last lap of the first mile but I immediately remembered how I'd felt during the marathon and had no problem telling myself to keep going. I did take several walk breaks during the last two miles, plus a water break at the halfway point, but my legs almost started to giddyup again without me consciously deciding to do so. By the time I hit 5K I was breathing hard but my legs felt great and my breathing settled back down well before I walked back to the house.
My 5K time was 44 minutes and change. That's seven minutes slower than my 5K PR but I intentionally wanted this to be an easy run. I knew I could go faster but I didn't want to feel the run so much that I didn't feel like running for the rest of the week.
My intention is to get at least two more runs in this week before Sunday's race, and I'd really like to do three, but again I don't want to push it in my first week back. In September I want to get some sort of training plan into place. Don't know what I would be training for quite yet, although I do still want to work on my speed so maybe that. Otherwise I'm thinking a half or longer for next May, including setting a time goal.
In other weekend excitement, my friend S and I went to the Washington County Fair today. I love fairs and I hadn't been to one in years. I was delighted to find out that this fair was going on this weekend -- admission is free! And we almost got mowed down by a rogue sow in the swine barn. Woo hoo! I'll get some pics up from the fair -- sadly, not of the rogue sow, I was a little busy moving out of the way -- some time soon. Which reminds me, I still need to get some camping pictures up.
Unfortunately, a lot were overexposed or else I was holding on to two dogs at the time and they jerked the camera out of focus. But here is CBS, probably shortly after I got everything set up in the tent. Yes, I do really rough it when I camp. Hey, if you're car camping you might as well bring whatever fits in the car. But I can also hike into a campsite and make something like chinese food over a one-match fire; 11 years of summer camp left me with some skillz in this department. Little too much trouble for just me, but if anyone wants to go camping let me know and I'll dazzle away!
Cheers,
the CilleyGirl
Congrats on the run. It always feels good to get out there and do it.
ReplyDeleteIt really does.
ReplyDelete