2 x 2 Tempo Run

Wow, today was a tough workout. I went out with a goal of maintaining 8:45 for each set of 2 miles, this is the first time in a while I actually stayed with the pace I set and did not exceed my expectations. That tells me that I finally pushed myself hard enough in a training run, and I'm actually pretty proud of myself. It was a hard workout, but it felt great after it was over. Also, the weather today was very nice, about 57 degrees, 10 degrees warmer than the last time I ran!

2 x 3 Tempo Run

Today was my first 2 x 3 tempo run... last week I did my first 2 x 2 run and I really liked it. Today however, was quite a bit more challenging and I think maybe that's why I didn't like it AS much as the previous one. It might take some getting used to as well. It was chilly today also, I'm still working on figuring out the best way to dress as the temps continue to drop. I ran all last winter, but its amazing how bad my memory is because I can't seem to remember what I would wear when I went running in the dead of winter! Today I had a headband covering my ears, gloves, tank top, long sleeved top and long pants. I would say for most of the run I was in good shape, but there were some times where I was pretty cold. After my run I did some stretching for about 10 min, that was all it took for my fingers and lips to turn purple! It's amazing to me how cold I can get, inside, after running. I took a nice long, hot shower and then layered up in some comfy clothes for the rest of the night.

Next run is 400 meter repeats on Thursday, I've not done these before either, so this will be interesting!

Windy and Cold

So the temps were about 43 degrees and windy when I went out for my 8 mile run today. I was planning to head to a local park to make the miles go by faster but I opted to save drive time and just run in the neighborhood. Bbrrrr! The sun barely peaked out from behind the clouds and I felt forever in a head wind that chilled me to the bone. I was going for an easy run, about an 11 min pace, just to get the miles in and feel good. I ended up averaging a 10:35 just to keep my heart rate up and hope for an increase in my body temp. It sort of worked, I was still pretty cold during the run, but better than if I had stuck with the 11 min pace. I think its going to take some time for me to get used to the winter weather running again. I remember enjoying it last year as long as I dressed properly. It's been a mild fall so far, but this was a pretty chilly run. All that said, I finished and I feel great. Looking forward to stepping up my intensity next week as I charge into my 10K training and prepare for the Detroit Turkey Trot!