Saturday, February 7, 2009

6 Miles - 2/7

So today I did the 6 mile loop again, after having done it last weekend and finding that I was going at 10 minute miles. I only did one 3.4 mile run during the week - on Thursday night.
I've forgotten how much it sucks to start off - especially when getting into running for the first time. I've gone though this many times, and each time after a week or two of running consistently, things get much better. But after doing todays run and knowing how I felt through the whole thing, I am reminded why new runners hate it so much. If any of you reading this are new to running - I have two pieces of advice to offer: 1) SLOW DOWN and 2) run at least 3x per week for two weeks before making a final decision.

Anyhow, todays results:
Distance: 6 Miles
Total Time: 58:55
Avg HR: 168

So - compared to last week, I knocked off a whopping 10 seconds per mile! Woohoo! The HR is close enough (165 vs 168) to be counted at the same intensity level.

The biggest hurdle was not breathing - although it did get labored going up hills and whatnot - but rather the tendons and muscles near my ankles. After about 3 miles, they started burning and giving general discomfort. I wouldn't have thought that just a few weeks of no running would set me back this far, but then I realized that for a solid week after surgery, I was either sitting down or lying down for about 22 hours of of 24. From there, the amount of time I spent up on my feet and walking around increased - but I think a full week of not using legs can really cause quite a hit.

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