Monday, February 18, 2013

Run #14: Strength in Numbers

Well, it wasn't snowing, but still pretty nasty.  The dreary rain wasn't so enticing, but I was determined to finally run according to my training plan.  Taking the week off while in Thailand was actually not on the plan (hey, I packed my running gear...) but you know how it goes when you're on vacation.

I really just wanted to get this run out of the way, so I didn't bother mapping a route.  I figured I would make a decent guess and just add a lap around the big block if I needed to.  Fortunately my navigational instincts steered me in the right direction, and I ended up running further than I thought I would, and close enough to my planned distance.

So, when you're on a long run you have plenty of time to let your thoughts meander, especially when you're by yourself.  I was wondering when my legs would start aching, screaming at me to slow down or just stop, or when my gut would tighten up and beg for Gatorade and a Snickers.  Surprisingly I didn't feel any fatigue until after mile 7, which was great.  So I also wondered why I felt stronger than I expected.

It's all in the numbers.  8: minimum number of hours of sleep each night.  9: number of spinning classes in the last 3 months.  22: number of pilates classes since August.  5: number of school lunches I've purchased this year.  60: number of minutes in my biweekly body massage.  54: number of songs in my awesome running mix.  2: average number of drinks per week.  1: number of cups of coffee each day.

Those numbers are not amazing, or shocking, or even very impressive, but I think they all contribute to my seemingly improved health and fitness level.  Let's see if this is really the case as I increase the intensity and distance of my workouts.  Regardless, I still felt good and tired at the end of my run.  Maybe 10 will be the number of hours of sleep I'll need after this one!


The Fine Print
Date:  2/17/13  Time:  12:30 pm    Location:  Shanghai, PRC
Time: 1:34:23    Distance:  8.8 mi    Pace:  10:43 
Music:  Six minutes of a podcast that didn't completely download (argh!) and then the running mix

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