Potential

Ahhh! Spring is in the air. The weather is warming up and the snow has melted. That can only mean a new running season has started!
Technically, it should have started in February as it usually does for me. But snow + cold + running is not an equation I can easily master in winter.
But the start of a new season also means...new shoes! There's something about new running shoes that feel like potential. They are fresh and ready to hit the pavement...ready to fly as fast and as far as I dare take them. It's a nice feeling. Getting new running shoes always fills me with hope.

Yes, they really are this outlandishly amazing.

Yep, after dusting off a nice easy 6k (but when did 6k start feeling like a challenge?!), I bought myself some new running shoes for the year. It's time to retire my old ones into faithful walking shoes. They've done me a great service in 2014. But now it's time to look forward to the new season.
And with those shoes I had the chance to sign up (for free) to the Half Marathon clinic starting in July.
I have no half marathons in my sights for this year, but you never know! I might just find one that suits my fancy. And even if not, there's something so joyful about accomplishing those long Sunday runs. As hard as they are, as long as they are...I miss them.
This season is filled with potential and possibilities. And the best part is, it's only just begun!

Stretching Assistance

My life has changed rather dramatically since the last post. I got a puppy!
But that's no excuse, right?

I missed a training session with a friend last night, so I decided to do my own "punishment" to make-up for the missed session. My punishment was HILL REPEATS! Ugh! As punishments go, I thought it was appropriate (even if the workout I missed was upper body).

My ambitious goal was to do around 10 hill repeats. Ha! Deep down, I knew that would never happen. My dad and I drove out to a nearby park and did a warm-up jog together. Then, while he walked around I did my hill repeats. I only had 15 minutes, so I thought 5 would be an achievable goal.

I overestimated my fitness levels.

Rep 1: 48 seconds. I made it my goal thenceforth to do ever rep under 1minute.
Rep 2: 60 seconds. Boom! Just made it.
Rep 3: 54 seconds. I focused on "Quick Arms; Quick Legs" and moved my legs really fast. Really fast. I was impressed with myself. My legs were starting to shake quite a lot, but more than halfway done!
Rep 4: 67 seconds. After this rep I kept circling the bottom of the hill like a conflicted vulture wanting to eat dead prey but seeing hyenas nearby. Finally, I saw my dad at the top and new I had to face the hyenas. Upward!
Rep 5: 67 seconds. My legs were shaking the entire way and at just under halfway I knew I couldn't possibly run the entire way up the hill. So I made myself run the entire way up the hill. (Well, when I say "run", that is open to interpretation).

We didn't jog back to the car as I had thought we would...my dad walked and I staggered beside him feeling slightly sick. I knew I'd eaten too many cookies this afternoon!

I got home and collapsed on the floor to slow my heartbeat. My puppy may not be great at running with me, but he's good at helping me stretch.