Running 2013: Week Three

Since New Year’s Day fell on a Tuesday, my running weeks this year are measured Tuesday through Monday – at least until I find myself on a race training calendar.

Three weeks in, I’m still a bit ahead of my mile-per-day average goal, although so far, the only weekdays I’ve put in mileage have been Jan. 2, when I got up and ran before work, and today, which is one of two vacation days I’m taking this week, since I have some time left to use before my work calendar resets.

I did four miles on Sunday, and it was harder than I had hoped it would be. Maybe it was the wind or the cold (it was just below freezing), or the fact that I’m still re-establishing my running habit, but I really felt like I was working awfully hard just to hit a 9:11 pace. The spike in my pace chart below is where I stopped to tie my shoe – right after I’d come down a steep hill and hit my peak speed.

This morning, I did just over three miles, and felt somewhat better. It was significantly colder – around 20 degrees – but there was hardly any wind. I still had to push the last mile to bring my overall pace under the nine-minute mark, but I was able to sustain the kick for the last three-quarters of a mile or so.

I realize it’s very early in the year, but it feels apparent that if I really want to rebuild my pacing, I’m going to need to drag myself out of bed before dawn at least one day a week, even if it’s just for a couple miles. Since I’m off tomorrow, the smart thing to do would be to kick off Week Four with another 3- or 4-miler, so I’m not looking at another five-day break between runs.

We’ll see how smart I feel in the morning.

Year-to-date mileage:

Since today is Jan. 21, that puts me almost a mile-and-a-half ahead of my goal. (And that second column, after the date? Turns out those are the starting times for each run, and not my pace. Took me an embarrassingly long few moments to realize that the other day.)

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