It’s Running Season

EG and JG ran 13.1 with Donna Hicken this morning (Big Ups to them). I thought about doing it but wimped out. I’ve never run that far, and all I could think about is how much pain I would be in during the 2 ½ hours that I would be running. I did enter the Gate River Run and the Ortega River Run this morning, so we won’t have a repeat of last year. Then I ran long, for me anyway, today, and remembered that if I’m going to run more than five miles I can cruise. I need to remember this the next time a half marathon comes up. I don’t have to push myself the way I do in a 5k. I ran about 5 ½ miles today in just under an hour and it felt great, even though I pushed myself the last mile and a half. I enjoyed running through Avondale and along the river while listening to my running mix, which is still great after six months. It works in order and on random. I would have run another three or four miles but I had company coming over, so time was an issue. I’m encouraged because the nice easy run was a lot of fun instead of a bunch of work. I need to make signs I can post all over the house to remind myself that I’m a thirty-eight year old professional dad and not a professional athlete. With that being said, I plan on doing 10x300 intervals tomorrow morning at the track. I’m in good cardiovascular shape. My legs are getting fit. And I’m dropping weight. If I can stick to my diet and running schedule over the next month I think I can crack 90 minutes in the Gate, comfortably. I wonder if I’ll win something if I knock more than a half hour off my personal best. The Gate keeps track of that stuff.