I had started this post on Saturday but never finished it so I am going to write about today’s run as well.
I just got back from an awesome run. My regular running route (see map below) is now 4.5 miles and I am doing it at an 11 minute/mile pace. That is still slower than my old DC pace but that was three years and 20 pounds ago. Anyway, we had a sudden rain-storm move through the area earlier this afternoon which cooled things off by making it more humid. So, while I was pushing myself a bit today I didn’t feel drained like I sometimes do when it is warm out. And I had just enough water in my water bottles so that I ran out of water as I was getting home.
Throughout the entire run I felt energised and motivated. I think a lot of that had to do with the couple (alright, four) doughnuts I had for lunch. They were from Tim Hortons, the best damn chain of doughnut shops in North America. Plus, I did some sit-ups (40) and a set of dumb-bell curls (15 reps, alternating, with 20 pound weights) before my run. So, that got my blood circulating. And I felt like I needed to do something physical today. I spent an hour doing some landscaping for my Mom but that was not really hard work, I was just spreading around mulch. So, the run was just what I needed. I got me some cool sunny weather; I had just enough layers on; my knee felt pretty good—my whole body felt pretty loose today—and I felt motivated to run.
As for Saturday’s run, it was a great run. (Just great, not awesome.) I had gone to get my flu shot and come home. I wanted/needed to go for a run but got distracted with other things when I came back. So, it was a couple hours after my shot before I left for the run and I was just starting to get that post-flu-shot malaise most people get. So, I forced myself out there and had a great run. After about a mile I started feeling energised and picked up my pace just a smidgen. I had the same condition Saturday as today: cool weather with a little sun, not much breeze, and just enough layers to sweat but not feel like a pig. I came back, had some dinner, and then crashed. I slept a lot but felt good the next morning (Sunday) to go see my niece . . . who had been sick all week with the flu. We had a nice dinner at my sister’s place—My Mom came down for a visit as well—and got back to Syracuse about an hour after dark.
If I can keep to this schedule and get in a run every 2nd or 3rd day—plus keeping doing sit-ups and push-ups—I will have no problem passing the physical fitness test for the City of Madison police department. (While I can meet all their requirements now, except the maximum time for the run, I want to be able to exceed the requirements by a wide margin when I actually take the test.)
Running Route Around Mom's House
