102. Five the Hard Way

As a runner who doesn't (always) run, I've learned that the most important thing to do after a long hiatus is just to get back at it.  Don't think too much about it, just run.

So after this latest 2-month break, I headed back out for my daily 5-miler on Monday.  It was not an easy run.  I struggled from start to finish.  But I finished.  I didn't time myself and never really got above warm-up pace.  But I finished.

Tuesday I went for a repeat.  Same plan.  5 miles at warm-up pace.  I figure as long as I finish I'll have had a great workout and I'll be well on my way back to running shape, flat stomach and all.  Didn't quite work out that way.

I finished.  But damn.  I have never physically struggled so hard at anything in my life.  For the last mile I was barely "running" at all.  And in the last half mile I physically could not lift my feet off the ground.  It was like I had 20-pound plates on the bottom of my shoes.  I was doing some kinda heavy, lumbering power-walk, only not getting anywhere nearly as fast as if I had actually been power-walking.

When I got back I calculated my time/pace.  One hour, fifteen minutes.  I had averaged 15-minute miles.  My goodness.  In all likelihood the first mile was 13 minutes and the last one was dang near 20.  This is coming off my triumphant 9:30s from a few months ago.  What in the world happened???

Did I try to do too much too soon?  Maybe.  I think I'm gonna cut back to 3-milers for a while and see if I can't get my pace up.  Then we'll work the distance back up, and eventually add those 7-milers we've been eyeing on Saturdays.

In the meantime... New Running Rule:  At least one full run per week, no matter what.  Just to keep my legs from forgetting.  Sheesh.