A Running Reboot With A New Mindset
Ok so I’ve started many posts over the last two months and all of them have just laid around as drafts! I guess it’s because for some reason the activities of a 69 year old white man in Riverside NJ don’t seem very important right now.
It seems that a raging pandemic, an out of control wanna big dictator and an uprising to end systemic racism in our country may be just a little more important than what books I’ve read or music that I’ve listened to over that period of time. But I guess, just like I’ve started to venture out to stores again, I’ll try to get back in to writing this blog!
Some Humor About Running
And I’ll start with running …. now if you want to know about cross country and running you can watch this….
In the weeks leading up to the stay at home orders due to the Covid-19 pandemic I was just starting to run on a regular basis. Then for the next two months I basically ran once a week, And while I was still doing Cardio Workouts I wasn’t getting anywhere near as many steps in as I have been I’ve over the last several years. So I started adding walls onto my workout schedule. That increased my steps but still didn’t get me to where I wanted to be.
A Running Reboot with a New Mindset
Last Monday I started my week, like I have been, over the last month with a 5K run at a pace between 10 to 10:30 minute per mile pace. I ended the day with over 13,000 steps.
When Tuesday came around I initially planned to walk for maybe a couple of miles. Typically my walking pace is around 15 min/mile. so I completed two miles in around 30 minutes. Anyway, I thought why don’t I try running at a pace somewhere between 10 to 15 min/mile and see what happens! I ended up running about 3 miles at about 11 min/mile pace and my legs felt fine!! I ended the day with over 11,000 steps.
On Wednesday, I walked and Thursday I only did a cardio workout. Then on Friday, I ran again! This time going 3.25 miles at an 11:30 min/mile pace.
Saturday my only exercise was Riverside‘s March for Solidarity which was a little over a mile. And wasn’t very strenuous but was very hot and my mask was not very comfortable!
My New Mindset Yields Three Runs in a Week!
So I ended the week having run three days! My 68,000 steps were my highest weekly total since the week that the lockdown started. To give an Idea of the drop off. The week before the lockdown started my total steps were 99,000!
This week started with a 3 mile week in Sunday and a run in Monday. Once again I planned to run about 3 miles or so at a 12 min/mile pace. I ended up running 4 miles at an 11 min/mile pace!
Tuesday, I only did a cardio workout.
Yesterday, even though it was projected to be the hottest day of the year, I decided to run again! Once again the plan was to run my normal 5K route at around a 12 min/mile pace. I ended up running the course comfortably at an 11:30 min/mile pace.
The Nerdy Details
Total Dist. 3.16 Total Time 36:28 Avg Pace 11:32
Avg HR 136 Max HR 150. Cals Burned :455
The bottom line is, I finally got it through my think skull that running slowly is not a bad thing! I don’t need to run at my near peak each time out. If I want to get back to running more I need slow run. This is particularly true as we enter the summer months! So The plan then is two run twice a week at a slower than normal pace and then one run at a fairly hard pace! Wish Me Luck!
The Soundtrack : Johnny Burgin Live
The soundtrack for the run was Johnny Burgin Live. Johnny Burgin is a Chicago blues guitarist and harpist with whom I am not familiar. And while my run was not much of a struggle I confess I wasn‘t concentrating on the music much beyond the first couple of tracks. I was concentrating more on looking ahead for where my next bit of little shade was going to come from!! So I’ll give the album a few more listens and write more soon. I promise!!
Until then here‘s Johnny performing „I’m Leaving You“ with special guest RJ Mischo on harp….
