Tempo Run and PR Swim!

Tuesday 8.5 miles/1:11:29/8:25 average pace

This run started off real rough. It made me acknowledge that running 20 (.25 hehe) miles is kind of a big deal and the legs won't let you forget it. This run also made me feel good about my decision to take Monday off and recover. Man, I was sore. I can't even describe the feeling, but for the first three miles of the run both of my legs felt really really just BLECH. Painful. I'm having a hard time articulating the feeling... They weren't just heavy. They weren't exactly sore. Tight is good... but not quite. Tired, but not just tired. You know the feeling when you've been running on concrete too much? And your legs are tight and the motion just feels really jarring and uncomfortable? That's how I felt. (and it didn't help that this run is entirely concrete). Only it wasn't just my shins (which are often tight) but my knees, my thighs, even my back. Just blech. I felt like I was kind of hobbling. I was definitely grimacing. I was NOT running fast. I didn't see how I would be able to do a fast workout.

Luckily, after hobbling and grimacing for about a half hour, the skies cleared. My legs totally loosened up. It felt like that scene in Forrest Gump when he's running along in his leg braces, then the braces break off and he's flying. That was me. :)

warm up 2 miles

9:21 (ugh)
9:02 (uuuuuuuuuuuugh)

LT 4 miles

8:03 (started loosening up, but still surprised at how fast that was)

7:40 (braces off)

7:47 (feeling strong)

7:32 (weeeeeee!)

cool down 2.5 miles

8:52
8:48
(I forgot to write down that last split)

I felt a million times better after I finished. I'm not sore at all today.


This morning I got up and went swimming. It was a personal training record for me! I was finally able to swim my 20 laps = 1000 meters in 30 minutes! Chatty Guy was no where to be seen, and I was on a limited schedule since I had to get to work, so I didn't dilly-dally. I swam. Back and forth! Like a pro! :P I really did rest a lot less than previous times and I did great! It was so fun. I think I need to get a watch to swim with, so that I can time my workouts more accurately than I have been. I just look at what time it is when I get in and out of the pool.