A Cool Morning Run

After yesterday's tiring and hot five miler, I felt I needed a cooler run today. So I set the alarm early for the first time in a long time, and got out there well before daylight, taking my first step about 5:15AM. I also decided to take it a little easier, and changed my walk intervals to 3 minutes (from 2) and my run intervals to 3.5 minutes (from 4.75). I did run the last five minutes to make sure I finished in under 48 minutes.

It was a nice, cool morning, with temperatures in the upper fifties. Even so, I was sweating up a storm by the time I got back from running and walking 4.15 miles. I still don't know my exact run pace, but I did a lap around the track at the middle school in about 2 minutes 22 seconds, which translates to about a 9.5 minute mile running pace. I know for sure that my walking pace is slower than my normal pace when I am purely walking. You use your muscles differently running, and I am walking fast no more than a couple minutes at a time now. So I would guess my normal 13.25 minute mile walking pace is about a minute off that when I am operating as a runalker. I actually kind of hate to lose that walking speed, and think that after the race in Seattle, I may try to just walk 4-6 miles at a time a day a week and see if I can build back up to my normal fast pace at some point.

Even though my overall pace was slower this morning than yesterday because my run interval was much shorter and my walk interval longer, it was much more comfortable. For one thing, it felt great to be cruising along in the cool darkness, listening to all the birds singing: robins, cardinals, mockingbirds, and rufous-sided towhees. No sun beating down on you. Gliding along the dark trail in the wooded area, running on the gravel in the dark. I still have a long ways to go to figure out my pace and stick to it, but I don't want to stress too much over it. I do envy runners who manage to glide along, enjoying every step with seemingly little effort. As mentioned yesterday, the book I am reading says not only that we are born to run, but it (long distance running) is the one aspect physically that we are superior to other species. I sure am not there, but would like get better at it.

Today, I have a sore left knee. The last time I had this soreness, it was the right knee. So I am going to take it easy for the next two days and see how it feels for Saturday's 10 mile run. Since I hate to miss that, hopefully the pain will go away. I've trained hard the last three days: 50 minutes eliptical and an hour of water aerobics Monday, 5 miles yesterday, and 4 today only 11 hours later. So even though I should ideally run tomorrow, I want to rest that knee.