Going and Going and Going and ….

Tonight I had a great run. I was a little tired and took a quick thirty minute nap before hitting the pavement. I set my iPod to 8k since I wanted to put in some good miles for some of my challenges on the Nike Plus website. I started out slow wanting to build up my speed a little each kilometer. That is one thing I am really bad about when I run my 5k races. The way I run it is really too short for me to build my speed like I really should and want. I feel like I am a rabbit (a slow one) right out of the gate and it is hard to build on that.

But tonight I wanted to get in 8k. I ran from my house to Ashworth and wanted to get a far down it passed Valley High School as I could. I did a little stretching before I ran to get loose but less than I normally might do. 1k, 2k, 3k, 4k, I was still going. I decided to not turn around at 4k and head back even though that was was at my halfway point for my goal of 8k. I was well passed the 5k mark before I turned around at 16th street. I was still feeling great. My lungs were performing. Not winded at all. I had a few pains in my legs and the shin on my right leg. That is also the leg with my knee that has been acting up. I also did not wear my brace tonight. 6k, 7k, 8k, feeling really good. Too good I told myself. I just kept going and my lungs just kept pumping the air in and out. I ended up doing 11.89k for my total distance in 1:12:39. Not any real records being broken there but just look at my speed progression from start to finish. I could have not asked for much better.

When I finally reached my street I was not huffing and buffing dying for air. I felt good. I believe I could have gone 20k tonight if I kept running. I am guessing my legs would have given out before my lungs did. And the best thing was I burned 1139 calories according to the old iPod. Yea! 190 lbs here I come.