I had to take two days off. My legs were burning so badly after Wednesday’s hot run that I decided to take a rest and let the muscles rest some more. I’m glad that I did. Today’s run actually felt really good, and while my pace was nowhere near as fast as Wednesday’s run, it was still respectable considering the heat and that I’m use out there running to keep the heart and muscles working.
I started with between 90 and 100 push ups. Why don’t I know for sure? Because I lost count somewhere between 65 and 80, and instead of assuming I was right, I restarted from 60 as I was counting. I felt good after the push ups and hit the pavement in earnest.
Immediately, my legs felt good. There was a slight pain in my left foot for about 50 yards but it quickly subsided and I continued on. My first mile pace was good: 9:17/mile. I slowed a bit as I wasn’t sure if I was going to hit 3 or 4 miles, and I decided to just have a relaxing Saturday morning run. My second mile ended with around 10:17/mile pace, and I kicked it in just a little bit for my third mile and got it done with around a 10:01/mile pace for an average of 9:47/mile.
I also took a new route today, and I think I like it a lot. It’s just at 3 miles and takes me around the neighborhood in a nice loop. It’s mostly shaded, too, which is nice for those days when the sun is beating down and it’s hot out. I may make this a more regular route for my relaxing runs, although I find that I run a lot faster on the sidewalk around the pond in front of our house. I don’t know if it’s because I am able to pace myself better, or that I work harder knowing I’m running close enough to home that if I were to get hurt, I could literally crawl home to safety.
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