Week Three, Day: the First

If you are looking for Week 2, Day 3, it disappeared in the midst of a busy Saturday and is probably strewn somewhere along the 4.5 mile trail I hiked on Saturday afternoon. I did run a small portion of that trail, though, so you’ll probably find it there. You know. If you’re looking.

Monday should have been Week 3, Day 1. . . but I wasn’t feeling it. So, I didn’t bother. I did hold myself to it today, though. The thought of running more laps at the gym made me want to gouge my eyes out with a blunt kitchen gadget, so I opted to keep my eyes and run outside instead.

Do you know what I forgot about running outside? Well, the cold, for one. Hard blacktop roads, for another. And also uphill grades and wind resistance. I quickly recalculated my route in my head (thank goodness for various and sundry prior running routes!) and opted to get off the grade and out of the wind pushing against me and making my eyes water. But the spitting – oh the spitting! – was glorious! In fact, I spit extra and with dramatic effect just because I could!

As I ran, I thought about how while hiking on Saturday I had been trying to recall exactly when we were last on that trail and why I had been struggling. I told M how it couldn’t have been in 2008 because, a hint of fondness creeping into my words, “that was my running year”.

Perhaps 2011 will also be a running year. When I first thought about doing this 8k, I just wanted fake it as far as I could make it and then walk the rest. Now, I want to do more than that. I want to finish with my head held high.

Today, I broke the 2 mile barrier I had been struggling with on that blasted track! Man that first mile and a half was a doozy. I was tired and tight. Somewhere in the latter half of that second mile, things leveled out and, while still tired, I didn’t feel like I was going fall over – and I had stopped questioning my sanity over voluntarily choosing to be a runner.

I ran 2.2 miles in around 20 minutes. People! Runners of the World! Do you know what that means? That means I averaged just over a 9 minute mile!! Which (hallefreakin’lujah) means I am not as slow as that stupid track has me believing I was! (13+ minute mile? Psshhawww!) Mark my words, something is amiss with that stupid suspended rubber mini-track!! Besides, I hate re-runs! (Unless its Friends. I’m always up for watching re-runs of Friends!) What I am saying is that track running is really (really!) not for me.

Given the relative success of today, I am going full steam ahead into Week 3. Look for my first 3-miler report next time!