Today was a ‘tempo’ run day. Four miles – THANK GOD, because I think I would have passed out if I had any further to go!

My runs are usually between 12-1/2 to 13-1/2 minute miles. Today, I averaged about 11 minutes per mile. Let me let that sink in for a few seconds.

It seemed like a pace that I could keep up when I started the run, but I quickly realized the error of my ways! I did take my 60 step walk breaks roughly at each mile, but I was so winded by 3 miles, it was crazy. I tried to use the ‘break it into pieces’ concept and it pretty much worked.

I have another schedule dilemma that I’m trying to figure out. These are my runs for the rest of the week (today is Tuesday):

• Wednesday – 5 miles
• Thursday – off
• Friday – 3 miles
• Saturday – 10 miles

I am scheduled to either run or volunteer at a 5K on Saturday morning. I’d need to be there around 6:30am. Obviously, I cannot run 10 miles before 6:30. Well, I guess it is POSSIBLE, but it’s not going to happen. And I am not fond of starting a run in the afternoon.  It’s like I’m starting when I’m already tired.

My original bright idea was to run twice on Monday (doing Monday’s and Tuesday’s runs), then do Wednesday’s run on Tuesday so that I could be off on Wednesday. At that point, I’d be one day ahead of schedule and I could run  3 miles on Thursday and 10 miles on Friday and work the 5K on Saturday…

So – had a glitch on Monday and only ran once. Today is my birthday and frankly, I’m not even gonna pretend that I’ll run twice today. Not gonna happen. Oh, on a side note, I am now closer to 50 than 40. I’m pretty indifferent about it. I’m really only a day older…

But back to my dilemma: I still need to figure out how to get ahead by a day. I wonder what difference it would make if I didn’t take a day ‘off’ this week but then had two days off this weekend. Or, maybe I could just ditch the 3 mile run and run 10 on Friday. Then, I could run/walk the 5K on Saturday.

Decisions, decisions…

By the way, my knee feels pretty good. My struggle with today’s run was mostly because I couldn’t catch my breath and I just felt tired.

Nothing a little birthday celebrations can’t make better, right??

“Greatness is what we’re on the brink of!” 

Have a great week!!!