I actually did two this week, but it wasn't by design. On Thursday, I had my scheduled tempo run. I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill because I wimped out and didn't want to run in the cold dark morning. After a warmup, I started a tempo run at a pace of around 8:50. After the third mile or so, I was getting really bored. I decided to do some fartleks of around a quarter mile each to break up the monotony. I sped the treadmill up to around 7:45 and then slowed back down to closer to 9. It was great to feel like 8:50 is a recovery pace.
This morning Laura and I met at 7 a.m.. It was around 42 degrees...brrrrrrr. I left my gloves in the car, seeing the sunshine and thinking that I would warm up fast. Well, apparently I started out pretty fast because I was so cold (yes, yes... I am a wimp). Laura, who was fighting off a cold, didn't want to say anything because she thought I wanted to do a fast one. After I started warming up, I realized that we were going faster than normal. I didn't want to say anything, because I didn't want to slow Laura down if she wanted a fast run. I didn't have my Garmin, so I had no idea how fast we were going. I felt like maybe we were going our normal pace and I was just sluggish. Laura had her Garmin and she was checking it regularly. We ended up averaging 9 minutes per mile for eight miles!! Five more miles of that and I will have a sub-two hour half marathon under my belt.
So to keep my fitness up to do that, I need to run this next week. I'll be in Portland, Oregon. It is COLD. It is SNOWY. I am a WIMP. Please send me strength, my cold climate virtual running buddies. My RW schedule has me down for a fall back week (only 15 miles), so it will be that much easier to blow off my runs.
I am not sure how much internet time I will have this week. I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday!!
5 comments:
Nice job on the runs! 42 degrees sounds pretty good compared to the weather we've been having. I just can't get into treadmill running, I don't know how people do it...I think I'd rather be cold and run outside...
I actually run better in the cold than the heat . . .you can do it!
42 degrees . . .sigh. It's 4, yes 4 whole degrees in Chicago today.
I know...I feel like a wimp whenever I complain about the weather, but I ran in gloves this morning and was happy about it the whole way.
Happy Holidays!
You are not a wimp, just not used to the cold like we northerners...wink. LOL!
If you could get through the treadmill, you can run outside in the cold, it's just another mental test. Just be sure to keep on those leg warmers and arm warmers of yours, and above all, remember to LAYER. You'll do great, I will send you good mental strength vibes from the northeast tundra (I mean Boston area.)
I'm late, as usual, responding to your blog. Funny how us colder weather people are the ones responding! Anyhow, I hope you've been sucking it up and running in the "cold" weather. I live in Connecticut, so like everyone else, I can't feel sorry for someone running in 42 degree temps right now! Although, thanks to global warming, it's supposed to hit 60, yes 60, degrees tomorrow.
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