In touch with the ground

Statistics:
Distance: 3 miles*
Time: 32:20*

Course map/stats

Week 2 total distance: 11 miles


Observations:

Not sure where to start on this one. Should I start with the GPS malfuction, or the fact that I am still having trouble going too fast too soon? Well, let's start with the fact that the weather couldn't have been more perfect, because that's true. Blue skies, sun setting in the west, and 58 degrees with a light breeze. No excuse to not be outside in it! And I was, so yeah!

Now, on to other stuffs. Something went wrong with the GPS. I started the tracker going on Wilson and Wolcott, for those who know the neighborhood. But for some reason, the tracking didn't start until Damen and Lawrence. The timer started there as well, so the measurements are accurate as far as my pace per mile, at least. Now, take into account that I didn't know any of this until the end of my run. When I got to where I thought my first mile should be, I checked my distance and it said I'd gone .68 miles. That felt pretty bad because I felt a bit more tired than I thought I should be after .68 miles. Of course, I had actually gone a mile by that time. I just didn't know it. Anyway, when I get to the one mile mark on my GPS, I was still going a bit faster than I had planned, so I slowed it down a tad. Not that I couldn't keep that pace up, but I want to know that I can control my pace. In a race situation, I don't want to go too fast too early and then lose it at the end.

Anyway, I get to where my finish line should be - Wilson and Damen - and the GPS says I've only gone 2.6 miles in about 27 minutes. Sonofabitch! So, I turn down Wilson and just keep going until it says 3 miles. Of course, in reality I'd gone about 3.5 miles in total. I didn't know any of that until I got back home and looked at the map on the computer.

So I feel better now knowing that I went farther than I thought, but let me tell you, it really sucks to cross the finish line and then find out that you still have .4 miles to go!

I'd like my body to wake up and realize that it's going to be doing these runs several times a week. I don't want 3 miles to feel tiring. I want it to feel like a nice jaunt. To clarify, I'm not feeling tired afterward. Just during. I'd like to feel like these shorter runs are cruises, so that I can push faster in order to get my heart rate up. I guess that will come in time, and I'm sure progress is happening. I'd just like to be able to measure it empirically, I guess. But I'm not gonna pay some medical center to measure my VO2 max every couple weeks, so I'll just have to be content with hitting my distance goals on my runs. That's going to be a challenge starting Thursday with my first 6 mile run - the longest distance I'll have run yet in this training schedule. You hear that, legs? Time to man up!

Also, it may be time to swap in some new songs on the running playlist. I'm getting some repeats already (and yet some songs haven't played once). Suggestions are very welcome!


Street Shout-out:

Shout-out to Ken B. on Damen, who said I was "lookin' good"!


Track List:
If I Ever Leave This World Alive - Flogging Molly
Nobody But Me - Human Beinz
Hungry Like the Wolf - Reel Big Fish
Let Me Clear My Throat - DJ Kool
Dead! - My Chemical Romance
Don't Stop Believing - Journey
St. Elmo's Fire - John Parr
Panama - Van Halen
Pennies From Heaven - Louis Prima (dedicated to Maw Maw and Paw Paw)
Golden Years - David Bowie
(warmdown)
Vogue - Madonna
Whole Lotta Rosia - AC/DC
A Little Respect - Erasure


Next:
Monday - 4 miles