I'm Back

The ankle seems relatively restored.  I can live with it if it subsides to the constant nagging ache with occasional sharp stab that comes from my several other body parts. This is why we have NSAIDs. Too bad so many of them end up killing us in other ways.

I had pretty much a week off with no serious runs. Guess what? I missed it! It is very very hard to get myself dressed and down on the treadmill, but once I'm there I actually enjoy it. I mean, I actually enjoy it while I'm doing it! And of course, I also enjoy it for several hours afterwards. I love the way it makes my body feel, and I love the smug feeling of self-satisfaction I have for having accomplished this.  But getting over the hurdle of starting, each time, is a very big deal. Frankly, if I didn't have the accountability of reporting out to you all, I might not be keeping this up.

Yesterday (Saturday) I got down there around 8:30, after coffee. I decided to do Week #6, Session #1 - the next one in sequence - rather than dropping back. As the first weekly session, it is less intense than the last. The runs are 5, 8, and 5 minutes, and the total time is now stretched to 35 minutes. I was sure I could do it, except for doubts about the ankle. But it all went well. I did the first run even faster than I had been doing: 5.7 mph. The others were at 5.1 mph. The last one was almost entirely done at a heart rate of 150 bpm, and I felt good - I was getting the runner's high. I noted the distance at 30 minutes, though I kept on going for a cool down walk.  At the 30 minute mark I had done 2.3 miles for a pace of 13.13 minutes per mile at a speed of 4.57 mph.  The overall for the 35 minutes was 3.5 miles, a pace of 14.16 mpm and speed of 4.2 mph.

Today I really procrastinated big time, and didn't get down onto the treadmill until nearly noon. I contemplated not doing it at all, but my next opportunity will be Wednesday morning, and I didn't want to lay off that long, so finally I put on my shiny tight wicking clothes (which I will never wear in public without loose top layers!) and heart rate monitor, wiggled into an ankle brace, double knotted my shoes, filled my water bottle, grabbed the ipod, and finally (finally!) got down there. I decided to repeat the same sequence of 5-8-5, but go on and complete the 5K distance.

I must say, having the playlist about right is really helping. It increases the odds the song will be just right for the moment. I find I can match my cadence to a variety of rhythms by varying the length of my stride, at least within limits. I planned to do all the runs at 5.1 mph (which meant "taking it easy"), but the third run coincided with Springsteen's "Born to Run" and I found I had to speed up the treadmill slightly to keep good rhythm. I was very pleased with myself that I felt like doing that!

My 30 minute mark ended up the same as yesterday, and the whole 5K was at 43 minutes, making it roughly the same stats as last week: 4.3 miles per hour, 13.8 minutes per mile.

I've been thinking about the irony of my taking up running at this advanced age. I especially had to chuckle when I hurt my ankle. When I was in college, a few of my friends started recreational running, but it was not a common thing, especially for girls. They all got hurt. I maintained (loudly and at length) that exercise was bad for you. "If you do it because it feels good when you are done", I said, "you could achieve the same effect by hitting your head against the wall!". I had no desire to engage in boring exercise-for-exercise sake, though I was reasonably active in walking, biking, and softball, my only sport. I had a bet in grad school with my friend Z that she couldn't swim and run regularly for a whole month without getting hurt. She won that bet (I think I bought her dinner) though I later found out there were some aches and pains she concealed and worked on through in order to win. She has gone on to be the most active of my contemporaries, with kayaks and bicycles and swimming the length of the Hudson virtually, and maybe a triathlon or two tossed into the mix. The point is, she is out there having big time fun, despite two children, two jobs, and several major surgeries in her life.  I aspire to be that active myself. I'm making progress, clearly. Il n'est jamais plus tard.

Thanks for listening.