My Fitness Friday attempts seriously fell off the cliff when I decided it was easier to succumb to stress and eat whatever I wanted rather than to plan healthy meals and make time to workout. Lesson learned, the scale showed my mistake.
So back on track I go. I am signed up to run the Indy Mini-Marathon the first weekend of May. This year will mark the 9th time I’ve run this race, and my 12th half marathon overall, I think? I’ve lost track. The only years in recent memory I haven’t run it was when I was pregnant with Monkey and Lion Cub. I was way too pregnant to waddle 13.1 miles. I did run it when I was pregnant with my Panda. At the time I was ONLY 8 weeks pregnant. So I could still wear spandex and not look like I was ready to give birth to a whale.
I love to run. Getting back into my running habit this week has felt great. I am also super competitive. While I won’t ever beat a Kenyan in a marathon, I always aim to better myself on each run.
For many years I never had any idea how far or fast I was running. It was always a guess. I’d go run, then get in my car and drive my run route to see how far it was! Recently, an abandoned railroad somewhat near my house was paved. So I’ve been running there. And yet again I don’t have any idea how far I’ve been running. Until I started using this:
It also has some great simple programming features. I can program this watch to let me run in run/walk intervals. Run/walk is how I’ve always run long distances. So I can set one timer to beep after I’ve been running for 5 minutes. Then the second timer will count for a minute, allowing me a walk break, then beep again, signaling that I need to run. And on it will go until I am done with the run. I love that feature!
This allows me to upload all of my runs and then analyze speed, elevation (I live in a flat cornfield, we don’t have elevation), and compare it to other runs.
The watch also keeps track of my best mile, 5K and 10K times. So it sets a goal for me to run with the intent of beating my previous best.
So I’m back on the road. Running as fast as my cellulited thighs will allow me. And watching the clock, always trying to beat a personal best. And normally watching my watch.
Yay for getting back on track! I’ll have to tell Puddie about your watch… he is looking for something similar I think.