Running Is Back!

As you might know, I haven’t really run since St. Louis Rock’n’Roll Marathon in October with my bad ankle and all.  I wasn’t sure how the training for the upcoming Nike Women’s Half Marathon would go.  I was a little afraid of trying anything over 3 miles but I calmed those fears with an awesome 4 miler on Friday!

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I just took my time, concentrating on each mile alone, looping around a 1 mile long path in a park near my house.  By the end, I was completely exhausted and sore but happy I finished!  I think I had just enough for this run.  This weekend is 5 miles and I’m no longer worried about it  Smile

Run2013-02-19-2Today, I ran some easy intervals with a new running friend.  She is not used to running outside and it was the first time we ran intervals together so we didn’t go crazy.  I started pushing the pace in the run intervals though and saw an 8:57!  Of course, it was only for a minute but that is super fast for me so I was happy I’ve still got a little “speed” in my legs!  It just felt so good to open up my stride and concentrate on my breathing.  Nothing like running fast!  I plan on doing intervals every Tuesday, making it a little harder each week.  This was just a feeler to see how it would go!

The rest of the day will be spent working on a take home exam for one of my classes.  I also have to do my legs workout tonight for Body Beast.  Good thing I don’t run tomorrow!

Do you do speedwork?  How do you improve your running?

I’ve always dabbled in speedwork but have never been consistent.  I like to test my pace with a 2 mile trial.  1 mile seems too short for a distance runner though that can be fun too.  I managed to get my 2 mile time down just under 19 minutes before I went back to grad school (and fitness got put on hold).  I look forward to getting back there again one day!

7 thoughts on “Running Is Back!

  1. Hi Angela! Which model Garmin do you have? I’ve got the Forerunner 310 but am thinking of upgrading to a less bulky model.

    1. Hey Jayne! My Garmin is the 405CX with Heart Rate Monitor and I love it!! I ordered it because it was the smallest model at the time. The touch bezel isn’t as much of a pain as I heard people say it was (honestly, you just have to learn how to use it and lock it when you don’t want the screen to change). Best part was that it was cheap on Amazon and still is! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0025UHKNS/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_T19irb0M5V4JG I love the extra features on it too like the ability to do interval runs and such. I had a problem with it once but it turned out to be software (and an update fixed it). I would recommend it!
      ~Ang

  2. Congrats on your return to running! I’d love to hear what you thought of RnR St Louis. I’m in the Chicago area and have thought about coming down for that….worried it’s too hilly though. Speed work made me a whole different runner. Love it!

    1. Awesome! I thought that the first half was pretty good and then end was torture but that could have been because I was burning out. There were some killer hills near the park but I don’t remember it being “very hilly” though. I’ll see if I can get my friend Tiffany to comment as she ran it also and might have a better recollection!! I never once trained hills for this race though but the race also killed me. LOL!
      ~Ang

  3. that is awesome you are back to running! How do you run a loop? after two or three, Im ready to just go home. I’d rather run a crazy loop that doesnt come back home (otherwise I might cut it short haha) my brother who trains for the full, runs a loop 6-7 times. YUCK! haha

    1. I can only do this loop if its 4 miles or less! I just think of it as a track, “quarter mile done!” LoL. Otherwise, I branch out into the nearby housing developments for extra mileage. Also, it depends on my mood – there are some days I don’t want to run and on those days, I avoid running past my car as much as I can!!
      ~Ang

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