Today was another pretty easy running day. Like earlier in the week, I started out with a 5′ walk to get warmed up, then broke into an easy run over the next mile. After that I brought up the pace and intensity a bit over the next 1.5 miles. It felt good to be running somewhat fast again. At the end of this segment I was around a 7:30 pace. I’m a little concerned about where my HR was relative to my pace, particularly given the duration of the run. By the end of this segment my HR was at 171 (compare that to an average of 167 for the marathon at an average pace of 7:45). I know that this is my first week back training after a two week break (and only my third run since the marathon), so I shouldn’t really expect to be running as fast as before. At the same time, work has been stressful, and I’m worried that the stress is spilling over, and having a negative impact on my workouts. I’m hopeful things at work will be better after next week, so hopefully this isn’t a long term issue.
After the run I took the time to complete a relaxing stretching session using two of the flexibility workouts my coach provided me. I’ve become a big believer in the importance of flexibility to running, but I also really enjoy the cool down time. Especially with the high stress level, it is nice to slow down, take some deep breaths, and really relax.
Today’s Numbers
Running: 3.26 miles, 0.53 hours, 9:47 minutes/mile average pace, 135 bpm average heart rate
Stretching: 0.54 hours
