The thing I like about the training plan I’m using is the weekly long runs alternate shorter and longer distances. This morning I was scheduled to run six miles, a distance that seemed very do-able after last weekend’s 10 miler (my first double-digit mileage in more than two years).
I intended to wake up around 6 a.m. and be at the greenway by 7. Well, that didn’t happen. I’ve just ended a week of extreme busyness complete with several bouts of TMJ headaches and I was just exhausted. I slept until 7:10 and dragged myself to the greenway around 8:30 this morning.
Wearing my thickest running shirt (with fleece lining), full length tights and a jacket, I was dressed for a Polar Vortex. By the time I got on the course the temperatures were warming up. In fact, when I finished it was an unseasonably warm 60 degrees. Sixty degrees…in Nashville…in February.
I hadn’t gone a half mile when I had to peel off the jacket and tie it around my waist. After two miles my legs were way too warm and I unzipped the tights at the ankles, rolled up the legs and made myself a pair of capris. Observe.
I was stuck with the fleece-lined shirt, so I just pushed up the sleeves and forged ahead.
I couldn’t shake the stress hangover I was feeling, so I decided to alternate walking with jogging…as in jog .10 mile/walk .10 mile. But when I jogged I did so faster than my usual long-run pace. When all was said and done, it took me two minutes and four seconds longer than when I ran the first six miles of last week’s 10-miler. Given how bad I felt and over-dressed I was, I’ll take it.
I decided not to take photos along the way. Again, I was exhausted and just wanted to finish. But I passed this quaint spring house and wanted to snap it.
So, today was another character-building training run (er, walk/runs). I wanted more than anything to sleep until noon. Did I mention I was exhausted? But training for my first half marathon in two years takes commitment. It really didn’t matter that I wanted to stay home.
Now here’s a success I’d like to report. I ran my first six miler about a month ago. I had plans to meet some friends for a movie later that afternoon. When I arrived at the theater a friend asked it I was injured; I was limping that badly. I ran today’s six miler 3 minutes 15 seconds faster than that first one. Tonight I’m going to an art crawl with some friends. While I’m a little sore and a lot tired, I’ll be crawling figuratively instead of literally!
482gr8 