Yesterday I started running and was supposed to do a 10 minute run, 5 minute walk, 10 minute run split. However I hit the wrong menu option on my Garmin Forerunner and wound up running for 25 straight minutes without stopping. I could have just stopped and reset the Garmin to the right workout, but I obsess about my running, particularly about NOT stopping once I have started.
The amazing thing is how far I have come in just 6 weeks of running. 6 weeks ago I could barely run 10 minutes without stopping, and even then I could only do that on a really good day. Now I am at a point where running for 10 minutes is not even a challenge. It wasn’t until I hit the 20 minute mark yesterday that I really started feeling the challenge. From the 5 minute to the 20 minute mark my body and breathing did not change at all. I did that full 15 minute stretch pretty much on autopilot.
Consulting with my Garmin shows me that my max heart rate was 154 BPM for this run. 6 weeks ago my heart rate was hitting 161 during my runs, so my heart is getting more comfortable with the running, which is a good thing.
The distance from yesterday was 2.1 miles. My stretch goal is to be able to run 3.1 miles (5K) in under 33 minutes. Getting the distance down is not going to be a challenge, I should be able to comfortably run 3.1 miles in another month or so. After that it’s just a matter of training for speed.
