Monday, May 3, 2010

My 8-mile run yesterday: hills, hills, hills


So yesterday I went to run an 8-miler with a few friends. I honestly hadn't worked out all week. It had been sort of a bleh week.

So I supposed I shouldn't have been surprised that my run was also...bleh...

The first mile or so, I kept up with the gals. But shortly thereafter I realized if I wanted to finish the run I needed to slow down. The first 3 miles were mostly downhill, and I just wasn't feeling it. I was feeling it even less when I had to run back UP those 3 miles!

There were moments, maybe around 4 miles and then again at 5 miles, when I felt I had a bit of renewed energy. This might surprise you if you are new to long distance running - but it is entirely possible to start a run feeling mostly crappy, and then suddenly an hour in, feel great! This truly does happen. However, those moments weren't as long enough as I'd hoped.

The last couple miles were pretty brutal, and I found myself hobbling along. I felt really tired and sore towards the end. BUT I kept at it and was able to finish.

This week I plan to get back into a more serious workout schedule and a clean diet. The end of next month is half marathon time, and I have some work cut out for me.

Photo credit Timo Balk