Now to put my running history in context: I log maybe 10 miles total on a great week. My usual race is a 5K which is 3.1 miles. Until this fall, I had run longer than 3.1 miles less than a dozen times in my post-high school life (in high school I never ran 5 miles in one stretch). This fall I started running with a run club every once in awhile and began to realize that yes, I can run longer than 3 miles if I want.
The running plan starts on the assumption that I am running 12 miles a week. The first workout is a 3-4 mile run. Hard. Or with hills.
After sighing for a few minutes, I pull up mapmyrun.com, slide over to the park in town (the one place that I know has a real hill because my housing development is FLAT), and map out a three mile run.
I change into running clothes and hop in the car. It is a short drive to the park, almost making me feel guilty for driving to a place to run.
I basically do three laps of the park. Lap one is easy, the hill not too bad. Lap two goes ok, a different hill this time, some hard breathing as I reached the top but strength regained on the downhill. Lap three is some work. My legs are getting tired. My side wants to cramp but I mentally
As normal I immediately plop down at the end, this time I had a comfortable cushioned seat in my car as opposed to a cold driveway. My breathing goes back to normal in about a minute. I don't even bother looking in my mirror for my appearance. I know my face is red.
Two hours later my legs are doing ok. There will be some stiffness tomorrow. That's ok, I can take tomorrow off--oh wait, the plan says 4 mile run!
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