Day 95, 270 To Go

April 5, 2013

Another long week is over.  I was glad to get out and run.  As usual these days, I didn't make plans on what I should do on my run.  Yeah, I am supposed to pick something to work on every run, and I kinda, sorta do, but it isn't written in stone by any means.

Today, I felt good and I was warmed up since I did some push ups before I left the house.  I had a little bit of a sweat going already, so I started off quicker than normal.  I didn't really look at my pace, but when I hit 5 minutes in I decided to just go with the flow, and the flow told me to just go!  So I did.

I know some runners who run fast like this all the time, even on their long slow distance runs.  I hate them.  I envy them too.  Sure, some of it is hard work.  I don't envy that part.  I do envy their youth and I envy their genetics.  It feels so good when you are moving fast and everything is working together and you just GO!  At one point, I felt as if momentum was keeping me going.  I don't think I could have stopped if I wanted to.  I felt as if something was pushing/pulling me forward.  My legs were turning over and over of their own volition.  I was a captive on a ride up and down my street.  I was a willing captive though, and I didn't want it to stop, but my 20 minutes came to an end.

I started my first mile with a pace of 8:11.  My 2nd mile clocked in at 7:17 and my third mile was even better at 7:04.  I'm pretty sure I could have gone for a while longer.  My heart rate was high, but my breathing was steady and strong and I had plenty of energy.  If every day could be like that...

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.64 miles

Pace: 7:34/m

Max Pace: 6:29/m

Calories: 342

Avg HR: 151

Max HR: 170

My heart rate average had me in Zone 4, and I topped out into Zone 5!  I probably didn't have much more time at that pace, but it felt like I did.  Now, if I can duplicate that in a race or even do better, I'll be happy.  I have a sprint triathlon coming up next weekend.  I know I am prepared for the run...its the swim and bike that are a bit shaky!  Its a sprint, so I have no worries about finishing, but I don't have a ton of confidence that I'll do really well.  Who knows, if I can kick ass on the run, I have a chance at placing.  It all depends on the field.  It is early in the triathlon season, so that is in my favor.

Run for Life!!