A cold front moved into our area earlier this week and I’ve been talking about taking advantage of the cooler weather and running all week. However, LIFE got in the way. I can’t complain, it’s not all bad stuff, but I finally got the chance to get outside and run this morning and it felt great.
I always struggle with two things when I run. 1) Pace and 2) Distance.
Pace. When I started training for the half ironman, my training plan called for a lot of slow runs. I mean, really slow. So I followed the plan and for the last month or so, every time I ran outside, I ran slow. Slow being 12 minute miles. I usually run anywhere from 8-10 depending on how I feel. So, it’s a big change. Today, I started slow, because that’s what I need to learn how to do. Start slow, feel it out and adjust as necessary. I usually take off too fast and then regret it for the rest of the run.
Distance. So, I’ll usually set out to run a certain number of miles, and usually I always add it once I get on the road. I am not sure what I am trying to prove, but if I’m not running a set route or have a tight time commitment, the distance usually gets longer. Today, I ran an out and back route. So, instead of 2 miles out, turn around and run the same route back to make 4, it became a mental challenge to keep myself from running 2.5 out to make it a 5 mile route. Luckily for me, I had somewhere to be…. so 4 miles was it.
It was a great run! I had a negative split, which is when the second half of your run is faster than your first half. I guess it’s easy to run faster when I’m only running a few miles. When I have to run my half marathon in a few weeks….. my pace will be slower FOR SURE!