This morning I was listening to one of the local radio shows, as I do, and the girl host told the guy she had a surprise. Apparently the guy is a distance runner, but she just signed up for her first half, in October. Excitement all around. She said she hasn't been running for about 6 weeks, but she guesses she'll have to get back into it. He did a classic absurd scoff of , "Well, yes." He went on to tell her she would have no problems, but the thing with a fall half is summer training in MO. Amen. I have seen a lot more runners out this year - I guess that's good. I always have liked being trendy...
Again, I had woken up in time for a morning run and again the weather did not look safe. So I had a chance for another inspirational conversation with my coworker. We both have wee little strides. She said she was working on lengthening her stride, and after she works on it, she can really tell that she has worked her muscles differently.
It was hot tonight, so I dressed in appropriate shorts, but ones with no pockets. I generally carry my pepper spray in my pocket, so if it was a day when I felt like I needed to run with it, I always wore something with pockets. Tonight I felt uneasy, but had to wear the shorter shorts. Screw it, hillbillies, that IS mace in my hand and hells no I am not happy to see you.
I finally started to set up a playlist on my mp3 player, and I had it cranked. Oh, not because it was so awesome, but so that I could HEAR it over the frakking cicadas. I am literally losing my mind. I loathe them. If you see a video of a red faced panting girl macing giant flying bugs, that would be me. It's only a matter of time.
After my 5 minute walk (.46K/.29mi), I set off on the normal route, not venturing off into the side neighborhood. I was very tired from my ridiculous short-lived effort to lengthen my stride. The thing is, when I mess with my form, I feel like, and presumably I am, going a lot faster. Clearly that is the goal, but it freaks me out because I worry about regulating my breath which has generally been the worst part about running for me. Although I must say, so far on this round, it has been lack of leg muscles. Anyway, I was also blazing hot, and faint and thirsty.
As I approached the school, there was a garbage truck parked at the intersection I cross. At 7:30 at night, with dudes in it. Uhh. Yes, again, that is mace in my hand, but to save it for future needs, I crossed the street. There was another creepy garbage truck parked in front of the school, sans dudes. I don't even want to know. I'm too busy seeing the world from a whole different angle. This side of the street has more dogs, and less sidewalk. We like to grow grass over the sidewalk here in the south, ya see. I kept thinking about crossing back, but there were a TON of kids out on the other side. Odd, I don't remember ever seeing so many kids over there. And even though I would have to cross eventually to get home, I was too tired to deal with it. So I kept panting along - oh my playlist caused me to set my mp3 to just play files in order, not random, and it wasn't finished, or very long, so I got stuck flipping through the WORST music on the mp3 trying to find something. I wished for the extra energy to be able to switch it to random, but I just didn't have it in me. I finished my run up close to where I started it (2.21K/1.37mi), and it never even crossed my mind to try and do another bit of run. I just walked the 5 minutes home (.42K/.26mi).
So that was Day 52 of the C25K. In a week I've gone from Day 33, a 10 minute run, to Day 52, an 18 minute run. I'm feeling good. And my pace is down to 13.14 from 14.08.
Weather: Ok, I use Google for the weather. Just type in "weather" and my zip code. Then I click on the weather channel to get the heat index/wind chill. That being said, tonight's weather report is BS. I raise the flag, and I fly it mightily. It was less windy and felt much, much, much hotter. 78, Sunny, 10 mph wind, 79% Humidity, Feels Like 78. BS.
Time: 7PM; Walk 5, Run 18, Walk 5
Distance: 3.09K/1.92mi
Elevation: +44.6/-39.3/net 5.2 ft - this is also calculated by google. I know the math is frequently off. I don't care enough to fix it.
Just run: 18:00
Distance: 2.21K/1.37mi
5K/10K: 43:36/1:32:09
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