Official First Day of Week #3 Training - My 10K

Day #1, Week #3 Road Work training

10.08K @ 1:15:16

Avg. Pace 7:27 min / km

Today I am calling myself a hardcore runner ... not a "jogger", not a "recreational runner", but hardcore because I was out there, running in the rain, making my two 4-legged running partners stick it out with me, running past bundled up walkers in my shorts and t-shirt. Of course, most people who saw me were no doubt thinking, "there goes a craaaazy runner," and in all fairness, they are not too far from the truth! :) :) But being pollyanna-ish, I am going to spin doctor my craziness into a hardcore label. :)

So, after two weeks of road work training when it has been an 8K on Mondays, the ante has been raised, and I will now run 10K every Monday, starting today until the end of February. Here we go!

The two bigger dogs, Angus and Kim, came out with me today. I listened to easy going music in an effort to keep my pace slower and easy. As you can see above, I did achieve this. The day was perfect - typical Vancouver weather (there's my nostalgia for the west coast again). I could actually go out in a t-shirt and shorts, and actually felt a little odd because everyone else I was passing were all bundled up. It really was not that cold out. The breeze was a little stronger than in past runs, but it was a nice, warm breeze. It felt like a storm wind when I ran across the Guy Lombardo bridge (wind right off the river - whoooosh!), but it was not like this for the duration of my run.

The rain itself held off until ~6.5K. This is when it started drizzling and truthfully, it felt good. It was the kind of rain I enjoy running in because it's light and was a touch cooling when I needed it. It then subsided and I thought to myself, how lucky was I just to get a drizzling? ... that is, until ~8.5K when the rain started falling more steadily and did not cease until after I arrived home after my wet cool down walk. My wet running shoes are now stuffed with crumpled newspaper, and after a nice hot shower, I am enjoying the after glow of a good run.

I am also in a good mood today because it's obvious to me that I have lost some weight. I am not weighing myself so it's not a scale telling me this. Instead, it's that great feeling when I first woke up and just felt lighter, and then after getting up, truly noticing how much looser my clothes are on me. I can feel for myself when I rest my hands on my hips. This should help me run a little faster! :) :)