Official First Day of Week #4 Training - My 10K

Day #1 - Week #4 Road Work training

10K @ 1:15:00

Avg. Pace 7:29 min / km

6 degrees C

3 weeks done, 14 more to go!

Today I brought along the camera, as you can see. :) I ran my Monday 10K downtown, through the university, and out to the turnaround at Ross Park/Richmond. This picture is of the newly paved trail - downtown London is to the right and the Thames River is to the right. It was a glorious sunny day and the conditions could not have been more perfect for a run! :) :) I wore pants and a l/s under a s/s shirt. Just a little on the warm side, and I think I may have been okay in shorts, although everyone out there running that I saw was essentially wearing similar clothing to me.

Wallace and Kim ran with me and they were happy to be out and running as always.

I wish my run was as glorious as the day, but alas, it actually was one of those days where I felt strong and energetic one minute and rather sluggish and slow the next. When I checked my Garmin, my splits were actually very consistent so once again, it is a reflection of how I was feeling rather than what my pace was like. It took quite a few kms for me to get into the run, and it felt at several points like this was going to be a loooong run.

There were quite a few other joggers out today as well. The terrific weather must have brought them out because there normally is not this many people on the path at this time of year. I had one jogger run up alongside me and ask me from which kennel did I buy Kim from - she quite liked the look of him! I told her that I had adopted him so I didn't know who his breeder was (he has no papers). My elderly neighbour, Frank, used to walk by our place when he would take his dog, Kim, to the schoolyard to exercise, every day, twice a day. Ben and I became friends with Frank and Kim as a result. When Frank and his wife went away for three weeks, he asked me to look after Kim for him, and this is my close bond with Kim began. After Kim returned home after his stay with us, both Kim and I were depressed for several days. I think Frank was both pleased and a little miffed that Kim reacted this way! When Frank became ill for a period of time, I would walk Kim for him and take him to the dog park with my dogs every day. It was then that Frank told me that he wasn't going to be around much longer, and that he wanted Kim to come live with Ben and I. It was only a few months later when Kim came to stay with us after Frank was hospitalized, and then he never left ...

I also chatted with another jogger who told me about running for 20K regularly with his Jack Russell. He said that dog could outrun anybody! I believe him, too. When I see how much energy my dogs still have in the backyard after a long run, I realize that training for a half marathon is not a problem for them. :)

Today was also an important ego day. I tried on a pair of jeans that have long been too small on me, and this morning, in an impromptu moment, I tried them on. I was shocked to find out that they fit ... I was just trying them on to see how much further I had to go! It was a terrific feeling and was a huge motivator to get out the door to run my Monday 10K! :) :)