I can't believe I'm going to write this, least of all on a Friday, but I think I might be starting to like the treadmill.
I know - wtf? Allow me to clarify.
Another spring storm rolled in this afternoon, foiling plans for a six-miler Friday Freedom Run. I could take my chances and wait for the storm to pass, but - let's be realistic - if I waited to run, I would inevitably find an alcoholic beverage of some sort to drink while reading Infinite Jest or Runner's World magazine and maybe James and I would chat a bit and have a bite to eat and next thing you know, it's 9 pm and dark outside and the idea of a run is running itself right out of my head.
So. To the gym.
After my recent success with treadill mile repeats and Tuesday's fast four-miler, I headed back to the machine with plans to run 3 - possibly 4 - x 1 mile sprints. Playing it safe, I ran Mile 1 at last week's 7.0 mph after a quick .15 mile brisk walk. Feeling great, after a .10 mile break, I ramped it up to 7.5 mph (8 min/mile) for Mile 2. Mile 3, I held at 7.5 mph, until the last two-tenths of a mile, which I jacked up to 8.0 mph (7:30 min/mile).
At this point, the left shin started to twinge; to not derail this Sunday's scheduled distance run of 10-11 miles, I (dare I say wistfully?) opted to not run a fourth mile.
To say the least, I'm elated. If I can continue to make progress with mile repeats on the treadmill, I might have to take back every nasty thing I ever said about it.
Miles 180.5-183: learning how to make the machine work for me.
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