I have to remember that I am not a performance runner. I enjoy running it’s good for me and it feels great to go fast and to get some good times now and again, but not at the expense of being content. There’s probably some sort of philosophy in there, about how being mostly content ids better than being only occasionally happy. I dunno.
I hadn’t run in several days, and things kept piling up to keep me off the road. The wife said I had a window, and so I dashed out for a quick 4 miler. The problem there is I thought I had to be “quick.” I didn’t. If I had run slower, I might have finished faster.
I’ll try, for sake of readability, be a little less descriptive of every road and every turn and every mile., We’ll see how that goes. Today’s run started off north on 1st Ave. Shoes were very loose on my feet, which felt kind of good. Achilles tendon was a little sore for now reason I can think of.
Mile one was a smooth 9:13, cause I like the downhill from 145th to 155th. It’s my jam. Right turn on 155th, and starting to climb– every time I take this bit, it looks less steep. Had to stop and retire my shoes at one point, but otherwise, it was fine. However, the music on the iPod was a little too awesome, because I pushed it.
Pushed it? Yes. Mile two was right after the right turn onto 15th Ave, an 8:42, and I was not feeling well, even though it was more downhill after that. Mile 3 ended right at the lowest point, 9:12, and I knew I was spent. I made a few hundred yards into the climb before I gave up and walked for three minutes.
I chalked it up to not only going too fast too early, but also not eating much that day. Once I got my legs back, I ran some more, starting with a right on 125th, which drops, then climbs as it turns and becomes 130th. I prayed for do-not-cross signals. Mile 4, 12:26.
Zipped the rest of the way home, another third of a mile. Final time was 42:18, which works out to 9:48 per mile. Aren’t averages funny? If I had run every mile more slowly, and not walked– well, I already said that, didn’t I.
Oh well. Going to try and take my own advice, and not let it get to me. I hope to get in one more good long run before my hernia surgery next week, and then, alas, no running for a while. Maybe I can still; keep blogging, though, about how much I miss it. That should be some scintillating reading.