I woke up this morning well-rested and feeling much better than I did yesterday. My legs felt fresher and I felt like I had a bit more energy. I took it easy this morning and relaxed, had my cereal and coffee, and watched the Today show like I always do - with Lizzie snuggled up next to me, of course! It was a great way to start the day.
At around noon I watched the news (I always do - I'm such a nerd) and found out that a big batch of rain was coming in. So of course, I suited up and headed out! Thinking that I wouldn't completely miss the rain, I put on my new Lululemon running hat (on sale!) and my new Run: Essential Jacket -- on sale for $69, marked down from $118!
My gear really worked out perfectly -- it started lightly raining about halfway through my run, and I was dry and comfy the whole time.
I felt like I needed to work a bit on my speed, so I experimented with fartlek training for the first time. I warmed up by jogging for about a quarter mile, and then chose random spots (usually block to block) where I ran faster. Then I chose a segment during which to recover, which varied depending on how hard I ran/how tired I felt. I tried not to push myself too far, and positive thinking really helped -- during the stretches where I pushed it, I kept mentally repeating "push, push!" and envisioned a graceful, gazelle-like runner with powerful strides. I probably looked a lot less like that, but the visualization really helped! I also had to remind myself during the recovery portions that I needed to take it easy, or I wouldn't be ready for the next fast stretch. Control is so important.
I ended up finishing the 3 miles in 33:55, with an average pace of 11:18 -- a vast improvement over yesterday's icky run! I'm not sure I've ever covered this distance at a pace this fast. It's days like today, where everything seems to come together and you feel powerful and strong, that really remind me why I love running. I felt like a total ninja! I can't wait to see what other improvements I can make in the coming months.
I also get to go to the track tonight to meet my running group for strength training, along with the medicine ball and balance board. Woohoo!
I also get to go to the track tonight to meet my running group for strength training, along with the medicine ball and balance board. Woohoo!
Way to go! Today is a cross training day for me, so I'm headed to the gym to do weights and bicycle. Can't wait for tomorrow when I can hit the track again! :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Cross training is something I need to work more on. I should probably get a gym membership so I'm more motivated.
ReplyDeleteSometimes coming back after a day of no running results in an awesome run -- hope tomorrow is good for you!
Woohoo way to rock your 3 miles!
ReplyDeleteI hope we get to run into each other at a race in Richmond sometime.
And yeah I can't believe that Lululemon has been having such a great sale recently, they used to never put stuff on sale.
Thanks! We just may run into each other, you never know. I'm going to try to do more races this year!
ReplyDeleteI actually work at the mall so I'm at Lululemon all the time. It's killing my wallet! One of their small duffel bags was on sale for half price too, $39, so I couldn't resist. :)