Week Three - Only

Mileage (miles per workout): 3 - 4 - 3 - 7

In the spectrum from non-runner to runner, I’m currently hovering in the middle on “semi-committed and feeling great but not wanting to become conceited”.  I only had to run 3 miles for my short runs this week.  Only.  I only had to run three miles.  Can you believe it?  Those four letters made my accomplishment seem small and it certainly was compared to the mileage I’m going to accumulate over the next 13 weeks.  The fact is three miles now seems small.  This mileage killed me in Week One and here I sit two weeks later dismissing it as an evening stroll.  I’ll be conceited here for a moment.  I’m impressed with myself.  Okay, I’m over it.

I think I’m going to become a morning runner.  There are definitely some perks to being one.  The weather isn’t as unbearable as it could be.  There are less people on the track.  The people out running are of the seasoned runner type and often give encouragement because there were there once.  And there are a lot less strollers.  I’m not talking about the baby mover type of stroller but rather the people out for a leisurely walk because the weather is nice.  You can identify them immediately because they walk three across and have no courtesy for others around them.

Now I’m not saying they have no right to be there because they certainly do but I’m just asking for a little awareness and consideration when others are trying to pass.  And I’m not too fond of baby strollers either.  Especially when the baby supposed to be in the stroller is instead blindly pushing it and you can only see their tiny fingertips on the handle.  Okay, my rant is over.

I met up with both kinds of strollers on this hill.  If an inanimate object could be your nemesis, this hill would definitely be mine.  The first time running up it was always a bear.  After a few laps it felt okay until the last time when I could feel it repeatedly laugh and point at me if that was physically possible.  I finally conquered that hill.  I laughed and pointed at it (not out loud mind you).  My strategy was simple.  I would run and forget it was even there.  And my legs wouldn’t be allowed to protest.  I had previously run this distance so my legs should just shut up and keep going.  The hill actually felt smaller.  We’ll see if next week I even notice the hill.

Things I learned this week:

First: Momentum and rhythm definitely make a difference.  I stopped momentarily during a run to get water from my car and it was a struggle to get the rhythm back for the last two laps.  I now make it a priority to keep going because running after walking felt even worse.

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