Florida Challenge Triathlon Countdown Clock

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Pounding the Pavement

Pounding the Pavement

That's a good thing if you're looking for a job, but not when you're running! That's especially true for me, because my knees (primarily my left one) are old and crusty! Lol

When I was in high school, the track coach made us run 7 miles everyday for our cross country workouts. Everyday at 6 minute mile pace. 

Man you couldn't pay me to do that now. Lol I'd last maybe 2 days before I'd have to quit the team! Lol

That was way back in '85 & '86, when i was a pure runner and weighed about 150 pounds. It's  2010 now and things have changed! Yes, I still love to run, but at 209 pounds I can only run sparingly. I just can't take running outside much anymore cuz of my knees. Gotta do it in spurts.

If it weren't for the treadmill, I woulda been forced to stop running years ago. The treadmill is GREAT for my knees. I can go all out without worrying about my knees or Achilles heel giving out on me. But the treadmill can't replace running outside. 

And that's what I did today. I finally feel well enough to workout again so I decided to do a 9 mile run on Bayshore.  This is my favorite place to run. Who wouldn't like running here:



Like I said, the treadmill saves my knees, but running at places like this save my sanity cuz mofo's be gettin on my nerves! Lol



I like Bayshore because it's a never-ending sidewalk that goes for over 3.5 miles without any breaks. No crosswalks, intersections, nothing. Just a straight shot right along Tampa Bay.

It's been pretty cool here in Florida, but usually it's pretty hot and humid. Doing anything outdoors here can be downright deadly if you aren't prepared for the heat. I take no chances when I run. I wear sunscreen and carry cold water and PowerAde with me:




The bottle on my hand is full of water, and the one on my waist has powerade.  I can also put a powerbar in the waist pack also. It's a lot to carry, Better be safe than sorry!

I was nervous about running today because I haven't ran outside in about a month. I wasn't sure how my knees would handle it. As a result, I like to start out slow to see how I feel by running on grass. It takes me about 25 minutes of jogging  to get warmed up. 

To my pleasant surprise, I felt good. Really good! So I picked up my pace.  No problem.

45 minutes in, I'm still feeling strong with no pain anywhere. I take an electrolyte tablet and a Gu to keep my energy levels up.

An hour into the run I have my runners high. My mind is totally clear and I'm feeling great!!!

I finish the 9 miles in 81 minutes. After the run, I walk for 20 minutes, then find a bench to relax on, stretch my feet, and eat my powerbar:


 

I'm tired, but relaxed. I like to chill after a workout instead of jumping into my car immediatly and running home. Sometimes you just need a little "me time" where you can just sit and do nothing but enjoy the day! Lol

All in all, taking the week off didn't hurt me. I'm still on schedule for my race.  If anything, it helped me, because I felt fresh and had a lot of energy. I will work on taking a rest day here and there to recharge my batteries. 

Tomorrow is a rest day, and Monday it's back to the pool!

Thanks for reading! Till next time, peace!

No comments:

Post a Comment