The weather has been all over the place lately… last week, the same day I finally took the plunge and got inserts, I was pretty much limited to a 1 mile walk through a local mall, followed up by a 1.75 mile walk outside the next day. Not exactly exciting or engaging for my training, but still well within a 2 week post-half marathon window that I like to try and keep for resting.
Yesterday I took the new inserts out for a more accurate pacing run on the treadmill (since it was another one of those cold days outside). I actually pushed my limits a bit, and with the inserts cutting down on the impact stress, I posted a 10:37 average pace over 1.75 miles… my fastest pace yet. While I wouldn’t consider it improvement in conditioning, it actually helped convince me that the inserts at least appear to help.
Today, the temperatures hit a near record high of 61, so I was able to head outside for a change of pace, and get a good 3.2 mile run in through the neighborhood. My feet felt a lot better, though the real test will come when I do a good 6+ mile run. I ended up taking Holly along for the run, but I had to drop her back off at home after about 1.5 miles… learning later that she was already on a 2 mile walk earlier. Suffice it to say, she was already half asleep when I got home. The run felt good, and I settled back into my roughly 11:30 pace. At least now I know I can do a speed workout once a week, and hopefully cut that pace down into the mid 10’s by the time Dumbo rolls around in August.
In case anyone’s wondering, I’ve been an animal lover all my life. Over the years, I’ve had dogs, cats, a rabbit, hermit crabs, fish, a cockatiel, hamsters, frogs, salamanders, a gecko, and probably a few others things I’m forgetting. But I’ve always had a dog in my life. Growing up, Buffy was by my side for 16 years – he had a really good run and I was there with him till the very end. After Hilari and I got married, our first “kid” was Noelle, a really pretty Sheltie who was with us for 5 years, with a life cut too short and sudden (complications from surgery). Within a month, we decided to adopt Holly, our current canine companion, a Labrador-Airedale mix who is very attached to me. I’ve taken her on a few runs over the last year, and I really enjoy her company. I also found out that she trots along with me at about an 11 minute pace, a perfect pace for my training runs. I’ll probably only take her with me up to 3 miles for now, but it’s nice having her with me, and makes the time go by faster.
This is Holly – after a total of about 4 miles of walking and running! Any questions?