And to think, I almost didn't go!
I began running again in earnest on October 2nd. That puts it at exactly 10 weeks I've been running. Initially every run was great and I was just so happy to be back running. It seemed I made improvements every single run. Something was going right. Then I had one crappy run. But then it got better again so all was good. Then I had a couple of crappy runs in a row. But then I would have an awesome run and things would be good again. Well, for the last couple of weeks each run has been crappy in it's own way. I couldn't figure out what was going wrong. I was having breathing issues and thought I was going too fast. Then Saturday I ran with my HRM and found my HR was much lower than I thought it was. Which then got me concerned that something might be wrong. I really was having breathing issues and was starting to think asthma, allergies, I don't know...... I was a little worried.
Watching the news last night, I saw that we would be having our normal windward and mauka showers. Since I live windward and mauka and it usually occurs in the early morning and evening, I thought my runs might be in danger again this week. When I awoke and it wasn't raining I realized I could run this morning. But I really didn't feel like it. I got up and started getting ready but the conversation in my head was trying to find a way out of running. I didn't let it work. I told myself I would go slow, just do the 3 miles on the schedule and come home. Take it easy and just get 'er done. I headed out.
I started really slow (or so I thought). I just took it real easy going slow and running lightly. About 1/2 mile into it I felt the breathing thing begin like normal and thought, great, here we go. But a funny thing happened. It didn't get any worse. My breathing settled into a nice even pattern. Wow! That hadn't happened before. After about a mile I realized, I had found my stride. I was running at a nice comfortable pace, my breathing was easy, and nothing hurt. It then hit me what had been missing. I hadn't found my stride. I have a pace, and I'm assuming everyone does, where the running is easy. It's a pace where I feel like I could literally run forever. Everything works the way it's supposed to and running is good. Really good. Well, this morning I finally found it.
I ran the entire 3 miles, something I haven't been able to do lately. I felt fantastic at the end and really didn't want to stop. I thought that since it felt so good I had probably been running really slow. Not so much. My pace was 12:26/mile. Not my best but certainly not my worst. I was very pleased with this run.
This really was a breakthrough run. I had been struggling for at least the past 2 weeks but this run has taken me to the next level. Now I remember how it goes for me. I'll run really good for a week or so then start to struggle again. After a couple of weeks of struggling I'll made some other breakthrough. And the pattern will repeat over and over as long as I keep pushing myself.
So this was the best run I've had in a couple of weeks. And to think, I almost didn't go :)
Watching the news last night, I saw that we would be having our normal windward and mauka showers. Since I live windward and mauka and it usually occurs in the early morning and evening, I thought my runs might be in danger again this week. When I awoke and it wasn't raining I realized I could run this morning. But I really didn't feel like it. I got up and started getting ready but the conversation in my head was trying to find a way out of running. I didn't let it work. I told myself I would go slow, just do the 3 miles on the schedule and come home. Take it easy and just get 'er done. I headed out.
I started really slow (or so I thought). I just took it real easy going slow and running lightly. About 1/2 mile into it I felt the breathing thing begin like normal and thought, great, here we go. But a funny thing happened. It didn't get any worse. My breathing settled into a nice even pattern. Wow! That hadn't happened before. After about a mile I realized, I had found my stride. I was running at a nice comfortable pace, my breathing was easy, and nothing hurt. It then hit me what had been missing. I hadn't found my stride. I have a pace, and I'm assuming everyone does, where the running is easy. It's a pace where I feel like I could literally run forever. Everything works the way it's supposed to and running is good. Really good. Well, this morning I finally found it.
I ran the entire 3 miles, something I haven't been able to do lately. I felt fantastic at the end and really didn't want to stop. I thought that since it felt so good I had probably been running really slow. Not so much. My pace was 12:26/mile. Not my best but certainly not my worst. I was very pleased with this run.
This really was a breakthrough run. I had been struggling for at least the past 2 weeks but this run has taken me to the next level. Now I remember how it goes for me. I'll run really good for a week or so then start to struggle again. After a couple of weeks of struggling I'll made some other breakthrough. And the pattern will repeat over and over as long as I keep pushing myself.
So this was the best run I've had in a couple of weeks. And to think, I almost didn't go :)
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