Confession: My workout habits have been lax since the race. To complicate matters, the two weeks before the race were "taper," and the four weeks before that were full of travel. Which means I haven't had consistent, hardcore, full workout weeks in at least two months.
I've become accustomed to taking days off. Sleeping a little later. Not pushing it much.
It's a bad new habit.
So I made up my mind to be a bit more diligent this week. I ran Saturday. Rode my bike on Sunday and did some decent heart-rate-raising yardwork. Goofed up and slept in on Monday. And decided to switch it up today.
I ran ... outside ... before work. Normally, my morning runs are on the treadmill. But it's light so early now, I couldn't think of a reason to not run outside. And I thought it would be good for my head to switch things up.
I was right.
The morning was beautiful. The birds were waking up and there's a whole different chorus early in the morning compared to the sounds I'm accustomed to in the afternoon or late morning. The air smelled sweet and new. The light was beautiful.
And the 6:30 a.m. rush hour was in full swing.
My long stretch is about 1.7 miles on a 55 mph road that runs straight east-west. Which means as the sun is coming up over the horizon, it's a little blinding to those headed due east. Since I run against traffic, I worry that I'm not as noticeable when the sun is in the driver's eyes.
I was extra careful and set a goal of running faster than usual. I got passed by about 30 cars, which is highly unusual. But it also keeps you on your toes. I feel like I need to "look strong" when someone is passing me. The little extra incentive is nice.
Lucky for me, today was one of those days I could have kept going forever. I felt strong and light and coordinated. Not sweaty, winded and labored like usual.
A quick 4-ish miles in under 40 minutes. This isn't fast for everyone. But it's fast for me.
What a way to start the day!
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