Pace 7:25 min/km
I am one happy camper about my run today! :)
It was a gorgeous sunny morning, but cool - 6 degrees C. I still wore shorts and a tech T, knowing that a 10K would warm me up (and it helps to have a baseball cap on, too!). I decided to go solo - I am not sure why, but I just felt like being by myself so all the mutts stayed home ... much to their displeasure because they rush to the door when they see my running clothes on, just hoping that they will be chosen to go along - pick me! pick me! :)
I sometimes wonder about my Garmin's accuracy because there are times when I look at the speed and know without a doubt that the speed it says I am going is inaccurate. I wonder what the time difference is between relaying the information to the satellite and back again because this might account for the "inaccuracy" I am seeing ...
Anyway (I use this word too often in my blog posts!), the run was steady and consistent - I felt strong throughout most of it, and I was stricter with myself for picking up the pace when I saw that I had slowed down. Today's time matches my 10K Embro race time so I am very pleased. I did not feel as strong in that race as I did today - maybe a combination of cooler weather and slightly improved running ability? :) Other runners and walkers seemed happier, too - they were quicker to say hello today and I even had one fellow say, "see you tomorrow morning!" as I ran by him a second time. My music was just right - upbeat when I needed a little more boost - and the "breeze-less" temperature was just right. You can tell by my upbeat post that I have a runner's high at the moment!
When I was running, I was thinking about why I seem to have hit this mental wall on weekly run mileage. A goal of mine since March has been to improve my running to the point that I am running for ~1 hour on average (9-10K). However, now that I am in that zone and my training schedule calls for 8K - 11K runs during the week, I am feeling a little overwhelmed by the mileage. I am wondering it this is because I haven't wrapped my head around the fact that the 10K is no longer my "long run". Or maybe because it doesn't feel as "easy" as a 6K or 7K. I am hoping that today's run, and a few more like it, will help me get past this mental block.
A note on my music ... I bought a new iPod Shuffle over a year ago - it was one of the last 3rd generation shuffles available for sale. I got it wet at the dog park over the winter and it stopped working. I put it aside with the hope that it would dry out and work again eventually. When I couldn't get a new one like it anymore, I found a used one online and bought it (my sister got a 4th generation Shuffle and I disliked it - the volume and voice over feature on the headphones really did not appeal to me). This Shuffle worked well until a week ago when I got it wet while running! :( I pulled out my original Shuffle and it works ... as long as I do not turn it off! I have been making due with it but lucky for me, the new 5th generation Shuffles are coming out this week, and Apple has returned them to the 3rd generation design (woo hoo!) with some improvements so I will snag one as soon as they hit the shelves. I only use the iPod Shuffle for listening to music while walking the dogs and when running so the more minimalist the iPod, the better. :)
On another unrelated note ... I "feel" lighter today which may be contributing to my better mood. I also noticed in the mirror while getting dressed how much better my shoulders are looking - significantly less fat and more definition. I know that I need to concentrate more on what is going in my mouth. Although I am eating much healthier, clearly I am lacking a better understanding of portion control! I don't want to lose weight fast; it crept onto me slowly and I want to reduce my weight healthily by doing it slowly. I am just feeling a bit discouraged because it is coming off a little too slowly, and as great as it is to see it come off my face, waist and shoulders, a reduction in the area above my knees and below my waistline would be better appreciated !! :)
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