I am definitely primed for warmer weather. Either that or I am in for an epic head fake. As is my wont on weekends (especially those of the extended holiday variety), I lounged around in the early hours. I still woke up in time to see day break occur at 6:24am (hello Spring), but had no desire to do anything other than surf the web, observe the kids destroy the apartment and drink cappuccino. The upside to laziness is that the temps warmed up to 35* a.k.a. shorts weather! I’m starting to experiment with clothing options for the 5k on March 7th. Unless the weather reverts to December-like conditions, I’m definitely wearing shorts. I’d be surprised if it will be warm enough for just a singlet, therefore, I broke out my old Nike LS base layer today as a test. If anything, I was too warm, but that should do the trick. I’ll also likely wear the racing flats that day.
With near perfect weather (sunny too) and appropriately dressed, I set off for an easy run … defined as slightly quicker than LR pace. I’ve put up decent mileage this weekend (13.5 and 9), therefore, I was interested in how the legs would respond to a 3rd day in a row on asphalt. Very well, as a matter of fact. Like anything in life, I’m benefiting from a combination of things … consistent rest days (2), distinct workout types (no commingling) and stretching more. On the latter point, most long distance runners that I follow use a roller to work out kinks, etc. Since I am newer to the sport, maybe my legs are relatively fresh, but I’ve never used a roller. I do religiously stretch before and after any run … even if for just 10 minutes. Anyway, whatever it is, the legs felt good.
I switched up my route … well, really I just reversed course and did 2 shorter loops on the asphalt. BTW – thanks for the admonishment in yesterday’s comments about running on ice. It was just dumb to even attempt. (Especially in light of our good friend Pretty Little Steps suffering a hard fall earlier this week. Get well soon!) Pace was not the goal today, but I did want to move faster than an LR or recovery run. Until the Garmin arrives (due date tomorrow), I only go on feel and breathing. I kept it relaxed, while still trying to get some training on the hills. No acceleration today … only visualization and getting the appropriate mindset for attacking them as I cautiously scaled the inclines. I also focused on form … chest out, arms bent slightly, etc.
In the end, it was just a very good run and not because of pace (9.4 miles @ 8:55). Yes, I am evolving. Going fast is fun, but it is not the sole determinant of a great run. I “felt” it was a good workout and am pleased with how my body responded to a fairly heavy mileage week.