Week 1 Recap

Even my dad's cows are questioning my pace

My first full week of heart rate training is behind me and I'm three runs into week two.

Notes for the week:

1. Forget about the ego. (This is so hard!) I keep reminding myself that no one but me cares about my pace. Plus…even I'm not supposed to care about my pace right now. This is proving to be very difficult. Sunday afternoon I ran past my brother's house. My sister-in-law and nephew were outside. "Hi Aunt Lisa!" yelled my nephew. Instead of smiling and yelling "Hello!" back, I pulled my earbuds out and yelled "I'm running this slow on purpose!" They both just waved. (And maybe looked at me like I'd lost my mind.) Ok…why couldn't I simply smile and say hello back, why did I have to justify my walk breaks? Well, because telling the girl that's been running for 8 years to stop thinking about the old rules and trust the new ones is freaking challenging. I guarantee that the people (and cows) that I pass have no opinion on my pace. None.

2. On a happier note, running slow is giving me time to enjoy the scenery. I've been running the same roads for almost nine years. That means running past the same houses, greeting the same dogs, seeing the same neighbors out in their same yards. Slowing everything down has made things feel new again. I feel as though instead of focusing on how hard I'm breathing or how much farther I have to run, I'm honestly looking around at my surroundings and taking the time to really appreciate where I live. Sure, it helps that mother nature has been kind enough to finally let some sunshine poke through the clouds, but it's more than that. These miles have been mind-clearing.

The numbers: Comparing apples to apples…my Easy Effort 30 minutes last week were at a 13:07. This week they were at a 12:31. Baby steps, but a tiny bit faster! (Oh…wait…I'm not supposed to care about my pace. I need to put that on a sticky note somewhere to remind myself!)