Delightful Run

The distance from our house to the nearest 400 meter track is about 2 miles.  So if I want to do a 5-mile walk/run I go to the track, run a mile, and run home again.  I did that today, walking 4 or 5 minutes and running 5 minutes until the 5 miles and (almost) 60 minutes were completed.

Windy and cold, about 44, this afternoon.  The NWS forecast predicted winds of 10 mph, but I'm sure it was more, maybe gusting to twice that.  But It was fun!  The route starts out flat, then up a modest hill (huff puff), and flat for the rest of the first mile.  In no time I was at the 400 meter track, doing four laps.  I timed two of those laps, running 800 meters in 4:50, which calculates out to a pace of 9:53 per mile.  I think that’s sort of my “normal” running pace these days, when I’m doing my run/walk intervals.  The four laps add up to 1600 meters, just 9 meters short of a mile, so I headed back home.

I passed the hospital on the way back, stopped my watch and went in, told the nice lady that I was a regular customer (I do get my 5-hour Darzalex infusions there every month), but that today all I needed was the bathroom.  She laughed and said "down the hall to the left."  Nice to know that's available on a Saturday - I wonder about Sunday.  I'll have to check.  Something tells me I'll be doing this route fairly often as my speed increases.  The track is a very nice place to run, and the hospital has a lovely bathroom.

There is one significant hill on this course, uphill on the return.  A few weeks ago I ran up it and was SO glad to get to the top and walk a bit.  Today I ran right up it (huff puff) and kept right on going with little difficulty.  Progress is happening.

I saw my therapist/trainer Katie last Thursday.  She wants me to ramp up the run/walk ratio to 100% run now, with a goal of running 3 miles continuously and an eventual goal of 15 to 20 miles per week.  I'm not sure how we'll get to 15 per week, will have to talk to her again about that, but I think the progression to 3 miles continuous running is well within my reach in a month or two. I could probably ramp up faster, but so far I haven’t gotten injured and I really, really don’t want to.

Total time 58:37, distance 4.94 miles, pace 11:52 overall.

Thursday, March 23:

Slow Start to a Good Run.  I really didn't want to go out and run this morning.  Yesterday I didn't want to run either, and I didn't.  I used two excuses: (1) I ran a 10k race last Sunday, and (2) I had a 5-hour infusion on Tuesday.  Those are not great excuses, but they're OK.  Today I didn't want to run and had no more excuses.  So Sweetpea and I went to the Soccer Dome and did our thing.

This time I ran 5 minutes of every 10, up from 4.5 minutes last week.  I really didn't relish the first 10-minute interval, but they got  better as time passed.  I enjoyed a conversation with running friend Doug for a few laps, and that helped.  Finally, I felt pretty good during the last of the six 10-minute intervals; I even ramped up the pace a little.

I do like to run, but when the run is a bunch of circles around an indoor track it isn't quite as appealing.  I'm really looking forward to real spring in Minnesota.  We have had some lovely warm winter days, and we did run outdoors, but those days are past.  Actual spring is due, and the sooner the better.  Maybe Saturday.

12:07, 12:52, 11:44, 11:48, 11:23, total 59:53, five miles, overall pace 11:59.