Runner's High

Thursday's Run:

Distance: 5k

Time: 41:21

Pace: 13:15 per mile

Today's Run:

Distance: Between 9.5 and 10 miles

Time: around 1:45:00

Pace: around 11 min per mile (?how can this be!?)

Thursday, the treadmill woes continued. I managed to complete what Lance came on to tell me was my "best time" for the 5k, but the pace was still dreadfully far behind what I would need to run to qualify for the half marathon. I wore a sweatband under my iPod, so the sensor seemed to work fine.

Today, though, I was destined for success. Friday is my rest day, and I made sure to drink plenty of water. This morning I got up and ate pancakes for breakfast before settling in to read "The Souls of Black Folk" while I digested. A little before noon, when I left to run, it was about 45 degrees. Perfect running weather!

I drove a few miles to the Baltimore and Annapolis trail to begin today's 8 mile training run. The trail is awesome- it's paved about 8 feet wide, and it's over 13 miles long. It runs where the old B and A train used to go. I drove to one of the ranger stations just south of my house, and ran toward Annapolis. The plan was to run until my iPod told me I'd gone four miles, and then turn around and come back.

When the Nike+ sensor reached 1.82 miles, it decided I was finished with my workout. It told me "workout complete" and read through all the stats I usually hear at the end of my workout. I slowed down to try to figure out how to fix it, but I couldn't get it to recognize the sensor, so I just put the music back on and kept running.

Luckily, the trail has mile-markers. The first one I remembered seeing was 6.25 miles, but they were only marked every half mile after that. I figured I'd run down to the 2 mile marker before turning around to come back. Sure, this would take me a bit farther than my 8 mile goal, but I didn't want to shortchange myself.

It felt great to be running outside. I had no idea what my pace was, but I was feeling much better. I thought I'd stop to walk for a bit when I got to the halfway point, but when I got there, I'd reached the elusive runner's high, and I ran all the way back. I felt like an athlete again. My legs were working harder than my lungs for the first time since I began training. Every half mile, those mile markers popped up to assure me I was getting closer to the end. I reached that state where I was blissfully unaware of how long I'd been running or how much time was passing. When I was training for the marathon, I used to tell people 8 or 9 miles was the best distance, because you felt like you'd accomplished something, but it didn't take up your whole day. Today was the first day I felt like I had anything in common with that version of myself.

There's a lot to see on the trail, too. Most of the people were on bikes- some serious types in full-body spandex, some teenagers wearing flat-brimmed hats (Billy and I call these the "cool dudes"), plenty of little kids (one girl even had a tiara painted onto her helmet). People walking all kinds of dogs, and even a few people running with dogs (evidently you can do this if your dog is not a dachshund). Quite a few walkers- a man and woman wearing matching "Baltimore Marathon" t-shirts, a group of teenage girls in jeans and North Face fleeces, plenty of women who looked like they were trying to get in shape, and (my favorite) and elderly couple wearing workout gear and holding hands. There were a fair number of runners, as well, and I was reminded of the unspoken runner's code- when you pass another runner, they will almost always smile or wave at you. It felt better to be running than it has in years.

So, imagine my surprise when I got back to the milemarker that I'd thought read 6.25 only to find that it said 6.75 instead. I had to run about 100 or 200 yards beyond that to get to ranger station where I was parked, so I ran somewhere between 9.5 and 10 miles. I knew I'd started sometime right before noon, so I was expecting the clock in the car to say something like 2:30- but when I turned the ignition, it only said 1:36. My iPod says I began my workout at 12:52... so this was easily the most successful workout of my training so far.

Tomorrow's supposed to be another rest day, but I've been using Sundays to try to sprint short distances instead. I've restored my iPod to its original settings, so I might start tomorrow by recalibrating the sensor. If Lance thinks a 13:15 pace is my 5k PR time, he will really be impressed when I get that thing working properly!

Also, I think I've changed the comment feature to allow you to comment without registering with a username. So if you are so inclined, feel free to comment. : )

Running Playlist Quote of the Day: "It's not my time; I'm not going. There's a fear in me, but it's not showing... there's a will in me, and now I know that it's not my time." 3 Doors Down, "It's Not My Time"