Return to Running : Week 39

Like I said last week, I'm going to TRY to keep these posts relatively short. Since I'm following my 10K Training Plan for Beginners, which is extremely low-key, there is no reason to get into details analyzing all the numbers stuff I usually nerd out on.

WEEK 1, RUN 3 : Run 2 miles at an easy pace

I chose the treadmill (for all of my recent runs); maybe I'll start running outside soon, but for now I'm going through a treadmill phase. I like reading my book while running.

I switched to a new book and gave up on the previous; having a new (MUCH more interesting) book made the time go by a lot faster. (It was 'The Woman in Cabin 10', which I finished yesterday. Last night, I started Final Girls by Riley Sager.) I felt a lot better than the previous run. After taking a shower, I felt SO good--just happy to be running again.

Summary: 2.0 miles at a 12:00/mi average pace. Average heart rate: 147 bpm.

WEEK 1, RUN 4 : Long run (2.5 miles).

While 2.5 miles isn't exactly "long", these Sunday runs will be the ones that gradually increase in distance until I'm running 6 miles. I chose to run at 5.0 mph on the treadmill (my "easy pace") so this was just 30 minutes total. I feel good--nothing really to note, which is usually a good thing ;)

Summary: 2.5 miles at 12:00/mi average pace. Average heart rate: 147 bpm.

WEEK 2, RUN 1 : Tempo (10 min easy, 7 min at tempo, 10 min easy)

I was kind of nervous about this one for some reason. I had planned to run at 6.0 for the tempo portion, and it just seemed kind of miserable. Jerry said he was planning to run at 5.5 mph for that part because it's supposed to be "comfortably" hard. Not miserable. I realized he was right and I decided to do the 5.5 mph.

It didn't end up mattering. I felt AWFUL and I really should have just done an easy run instead, and saving the tempo for later. My anxiety has been terrible lately and on this particular day, my throat felt like it was closed and it was hard to breathe; my heart rate was at 130 bpm (this was before I even got on the treadmill!). My usual resting heart rate is about 60 bpm.

I knew right away I wasn't going to be able to do 6.0 and I wasn't even sure if I could manage 5.5. I pushed along, but the time was moving so slowly. It was a miserable run, and I know it's because of the anxiety.

(Interestingly--or probably not--the date was 2/22/22 and the amount of time I spent in heart rate zone 4 was 22:22. I haven't really been paying attention to heart rate zones recently, but that number caught my eye!)

Summary: 2.31 miles in 27:00 minutes. (10 min at 12:00/mi, 7 min at 11:00/mi, and 10 min at 12:00/mi. Average heart rate: 154 bpm.

WEEK 2, RUN 2 : Run 2 miles at an easy pace

Thankfully, this run was MUCH better! I started at 5.0 mph and I wondered if I accidentally pressed the 4.0 because it felt really easy. But no, it was at 5.0. Time never really passes quickly on the treadmill--there is only "slow" and "slower" and "total torture". But I am enjoying the 'Final Girls' book, so I was able to focus on that which helps to keep my heart rate down. (If I start thinking about my heart rate being high it usually climbs, so I try not to think about it.)

Summary: 2.0 miles at average pace of 12:00/mi. Average heart rate: 145 bpm.

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So that was my week of running; three out of four good runs isn't bad! I did all of them in the morning, too, which is great. Usually I procrastinate until evening, and then I regret putting it off all day. The low-key, not-too-hard training plan is helpful in keeping me from procrastinating!