Wednesday afternoon
6 mi / 9.7 km
high 70s
Lake Phalen x 2
I had to go on an errand just east of downtown St. Paul, so I made my run two laps around Lake Phalen, which is almost exactly three miles in circumference. I wanted to do three laps but I didn't leave early enough, and so ran out of time before I had to go pick up the kids.
I was a little stiff from the prior day's lower body strength-training, but the legs didn't feel as heavy as I thought they would. I bounced between 9mm and 9:30mm pace for most of the run, except for the two steep hills on either side of the middle of the elongated lake. Once again I found myself running at an effort level somewhere between an aerobic pace and a threshold pace. Strange. Or maybe this is my new aerobic pace? I'm tempted to just keep running at this pace-feel, but wonder if the lack of variety would be bad for my legs, and/or the development of my running fitness. Maybe on Friday's run I can do some interval work down on the track, get my legs up in the 7-7:30mm pace range for a bit.
I thought about to doing a little hill work on the last hill before the parking lot, but this was my first real warm run of the season, and the heat was getting to me a bit, and the soles felt a little sore from the slightly rough, somewhat warm asphalt of the lake path . . . Excuses, excuses.
Overall, a good run, par for the course.
I twice passed one pleasant, glasses/librarian-type, well-endowed, sporty-looking woman running in the opposite direction (I was running counter-clockwise). She beamed a nice big appreciative smile at me both times. I also got several worried looks from some of the Hmong walkers, who were out in force in the summery temps. I was the nail sticking up that needed to be hammered down. Was it my bare feet or the fact that I was running the wrong way?
Five miles today
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I got news today that I'll be graduating from PT in one week, yeaaaaa!!
My run today felt fantastic no signs of distress it felt so good and smooth like if I never had a problem and I was running on VERY tired legs do to my PT session this AM. I am soooooooooooooo happy that I don't know what to do with myself. I hope I can control my desire to go for a long run this weekend that's going to be the hard part. My plan is to slowly build distance I'll run five miles at least three more times and go from there.
Yah, easy does it chiquita!
Thanks Laura, is going to take all of my willpower to control myself. I, perhaps will need to come up with a mantra that will keep me from overdoing it
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@Lee, I'll be absent from the forum for at least four/five days starting tomorrow. Try not to miss me too much
The site's too big without you.
How's everyone doing? I've been scarce lately and out of the loop. 2 whole miles in my new Altra Lone Peaks today. Trying to taper for a big hike, my dogs hate me for not running.
Hey Rick. How's the heel? Hope to hear about your running adventures again soon. Always good for us cats stuck running urban routes.
