Time To Move On

Distance: 3 miles
Time: 28:09
Location: Powhatan-Mesquite-Nisqually-Joshua Loop

As far as my training is concerned, it was a disastrous week. I last ran on Friday night, a 7:55 mile. It was one of only two runs last week, mainly due to a lot going on at work and with our home-buying experience. This week didn't start out much better. Monday was Memorial Day, and instead of getting a run in on my day off, I spent the day grilling meat and eating too much. By the time Wednesday came around I was feeling frustrated and guilty at not having run much lately. So as soon as I put on my running gear tonight I immediately began thinking it was time to stop playing around. I needed miles and I didn't want to wait any longer. It was time to move on. So I got on mapmyrun.com and plotted out a 3-mile route around my neighborhood. Since starting up a running regimen again in May 2010 I have only run 3 miles twice. The first time was August 18th, 2010 when I ran during a heat wave, almost got heatstroke, and ended up with a 31:19. The next time was August 21st, which was the mud run my wife broke her leg at, so that was again a disastrous 3-mile run. I didn't have any luck with longer distances last year. I pretty much stuck to 1 and 2 miles all year. And so far in 2011, again, all I've run is 1 and 2 mile routes. But a build up of frustration led me to throw caution to the wind and add on that extra mile at any cost tonight.

My route was a simple one. I didn't feel like making a complicated route, so I stuck to a basic square. East on Powhatan to Mesquite and south to Nisqually. Mile 1. East on Nisqually through the desert to Joshua, north on Joshua to Ottawa. Mile 2. North on Joshua to Powhatan, west all the way home. Mile 3. The entire second mile was in the desert along a wide dirt road, and the rest of the run was just along neighborhood streets. Because I'd be out in the desert on this run I made sure to set out early while there was still light out. It made for a very scenic run, as the sun set and painted the sky in pale blues and oranges. I had a different strategy for this run. I've been so obsessed with my times lately, that I haven't really focused at all on pacing. I simply run as hard as I can for as long as I can. Which has worked fine for shorter distances, but 3 miles when I'm not used to it is a different story. So right away with this run I found a pace I was comfortable with and stuck with it. It was a much slower pace, but it was necessary. My first mile was around a 9:20, but I felt good, strong, and my breathing was relaxed and under control. The second mile, through the desert, was a bit tougher. I maintained my same pace, but I began to feel a slight cramping in my stomach and chest. My 2 mile time was around an 18:40, so I had run two identical miles! The last mile was the toughest. My legs began to throb with muscle tightness, my shins began hurting, and I was aching all over. My stamina actually was holding up, but my physical body wasn't. I simply wasn't used to the extra mileage. I maintained, though, and even managed a slight kick at the end to finish with a 28:09. I had maintained an almost perfect pace with three nearly identical miles of around 9:20. It being my first 3 mile run in 10 months, I knew I'd be hurting at the end, but it was promising all the same. I kept it under 30 minutes, which is something I wasn't able to do last year, and I kept a steady pace throughout the run.

Afterwards, my legs felt intensely sore. I hope this run will get me back on track, and I know now that I don't have to wait any longer for longer runs. A few more of these and I'll be ready for 4 miles!