WAMDA 5k

Who: Western Area Massachusetts Dietetic Association
What: The 20th annual W.A.M.D.A. 5k walk/run
When: Saturday March 2nd 2013
Where: Look Park, Northampton, MA
Why: Because winter was almost over (not really)

I hadn't really been running because winter. But Wifey and I signed up for this race just the same. It was nice course. Pretty flat, two loops and then a little bit more. I didn't know how it would go since the only running I had done all winter was in occasional 15 minute sessions on the treadmill at the Y. I might have done some 30 minute sessions but I'm not sure.
On the course I couldn't keep up with wifey but I kept her in sight the whole time. I finished feeling great in 24:21 which is right in line with the races I ran this past summer and fall.
The next day I was running a fever. I spent the day on the couch barely able to move. This was not fun.

Timed mile

Wifey and I went to the local track for a running workout. Wifey has an established speed workout that she has been doing on the track for some time now. I decided to do a timed mile for reference purposes. I haven't actually run a mile for time since I was running track in high school. I ran a 6:04 in what I think was my sophomore year.
Anyway wifey timed for me and I ran a mile in 6:16. What do I take from this?
Speed work is really hard. I think all the speed work I've been doing in the pool has been great for me, but I should work some faster running into my routine. The conditioning benefit has got to be tremendous.
Also with some more training I think I can outrun a sixteen year old version of me. Cool

slooow

Went for my run today. I haven't actually run my loop in three weeks. Even though I was running pretty well Sunday morning this afternoon it just wasn't happening. Oh well. I'll see what I can do next week.

road work

Beautiful day today. Jogged my normal loop. I am really enjoying getting faster. I say to myself "conditioning, conditioning, conditioning" as I run up the hills.

crosstraining

I've just got to love cross training. My focus is on swimming and it absorbs a lot of work. But I am a believer in cross training. I do my run once a week. Same loop every week. Four point six miles. It goes something like this:
Run to the end of my road
Hang a right
Run uphill for about a mile
Run downhill for about a mile
Run about 350 yards up a steep hill
Breathe
Run down a steep hill neighborhood of 400 yards
Hang another right
Run home

I think this run has character. And the cool part is even though I am only running it once a week I seem to be getting faster. Of course since I am not that fast to begin with there is plenty of room for me to get faster. Which is actually kind of a bonus. I could keep my run going all year and keep getting faster at about the same rate I have been for the last two months. And at the end of that time I might qualify as moderately fast.

Jog

Every thursday since march I have been jogging the same loop near my house. I would like to claim that I am running this loop but I feel that this claim is on shaky ground. While I have been paying careful attention to my swim times and intervals, I don't even take a watch with me on my run (jog) Recently I decided to start my watch and leave it at the back door. I can then stop it when I finish but I won't be tempted to look at it while I'm out on the road because it is lying next to the back door, at home. Anyway in this fashion I can determine that indeed I am not going that fast. Still I stand by my crosstraining.