Feelings of Euphoria

Today was a great run! I thought it would feel better than it has in a while when I saw a high of 66 and a current temperature of 52. So not only did I get out and run, but I made my husband go as well.

While we all complain about exercise before we get going, and maybe even during when we push ourselves, I don't really know anyone but my husband who complains so much AFTER. Sure maybe you are sore, or the workout kicked your butt, but you have all those endorphins running through you, and you feel great about what you did. If he ever experiences that feeling, he has never expressed it.

So I pushed him to try and start the C25K app again. He did it with me when we were trying to work out for our wedding, but we both probably only made it to week 3 or 4 (and we both managed to not gain weight, but were unsuccessful in losing anything). He has zero interest in running, but he has zero interest in any physical activity other than maybe shooting a basketball. Since our son is at an age where he is either going to run away when you turn around or scream if he can't make the basketball go up, I feel no guilt in pushing the running with a stroller.

He headed out the door and so did I.

I always try to keep my pace around 13 mph for the first two miles. Other than my actual 10K race, I have barely been able to sustain that pace, and often get slower as I go on. Today, I found my speed increasing. Eventually I just stopped looking at my pace and just running however I felt like running. I know I have enjoyed running in the heat and humidity less than the fall and spring, or even winter. I have also read that you can see speed decreases as the temperature climbs. I just had no idea mine were that significant. It was hard to see because even in the summer when I felt slower, I was still faster than last summer when I was just getting started running.

Days like today remind me why I run. Just when I was questioning whether I should think about doing something else.

When I returned, my husband did not feel the same way. But I didn't let him get me down.

I checked out facebook and saw a friend of mine had signed up for the Hot Chocolate Run in Columbus.

http://www.hotchocolate15k.com/columbus/

My sister had been requesting that I come up and do it as well. Two months ago I thought, "Why run the 5K when there is a 15K?" A month ago I thought, "No way I can do the 15K. Why bother going up?" Apparently 5Ks are now beneath me even though I finish back of the pack, because at no point did I think, "Sure let's do a 5K." My sister is not a runner at all, and has no interest, but she likes fun runs. She would not be joining me in the 15K distance.

So despite my last post where I decided, why not stick to the 10K and work on getting faster? I think I may sign up for the 15K. I figure, if I want to get faster I am supposed to have my long runs be longer than a 10K. I should at least be able to finish a 15K. Of course I will do that and somehow think, "Oh, that half marathon is just 3 or 4 more miles, why not?"

So what's three more miles when you have awesome 10K speed like this:

6.00 mi | 1:14:08 | 12:21 min/mi