Reflections on the 5K

I am feeling good about the Livestrong 5K. I have not been running much since the Seattle half marathon, for a variety of reasons. The biggest of these, frankly, is laziness. On these hot summer days we had, it was always easier and more convenient to try to sleep in a bit and plan to “run tomorrow.” Oh, I did get out now and then, but you lose that edge and then it becomes even easier to skip. And suddenly someone who was in half marathon shape is in 10K shape, then 5K shape. I’ve not been a couch potato, but not real active either. When it is 100 degrees out, it is very easy to find an excuse to stay indoors.

I was too hot for months to walk at lunch at work, which I really like doing. I would try going for a one mile walk and come back soaked in sweat – kind of gross in the office. But now the cooler weather is here, and I will be trying to get back in that habit now that last week’s rain is done. Of course, yesterday would have been a great day to walk, but instead I went to lunch with a friend and consumed about 7,000 calories with a huge burrito.

So I need to mentally use the 5K success as a springboard. I don’t want to give up on the run-walk method, but it felt great to run the entire 5K, and I would like to do the same with the 2011 Monument Avenue 10K, and go for a PR. I also want to sign up for the Shamrock Half Marathon in Virginia Beach and see if I can improve my sub-2:30 PR in March.

I’ve not been running this week, but I have gotten in two workouts with weights, which are definitely needed. I’ve interspersed those with crunches and planks, trying to keep my core strong. Tonight, I will go for water aerobics and try to get up early tomorrow and run. I could have run this morning, but it was more convenient to update my blog. And if it is cool, I will try a walk at lunch and try to get back into doing that. Even a 2 mile 30 minute walk is better than sitting in the cube at work surfing the web at lunch, wouldn’t you say?