Day 43: Thursday, May 7, 2009

Well, even after my body being worn out on Wednesday, I still managed to find my way to the gym for Thursday. Seeing as in how my arms were still sore from lifting weights on Tuesday, I decided to not push the weight lifting regime. I figured it better to allow my muscles ample time to repair and build before trying to work them out again, in case injury could occur. With that said, I once again found myself on the treadmill.

Remembering how exhausted I ended up being the previous day, I decided to only do my runs at 5.2 MPH and hope that, with the slower pace, I could run longer, and thus further. Mission not necessarily accomplished. While I did manage to run longer, I did not go for a greater distance. But not to despair, I still did activity, and that is the important thing.

I got on the treadmill and as soon as I began to run I felt pretty good. I was making longer strides, not necessarily because I had to, but because I could. I felt good, my breathing was good, and I briefly felt as if I would be able to run the full 30 minutes. Not to be so, however.

I ran (after the initial one minute walk to set the settings for the machine) for the first 17 minutes. I had hoped for at least 20 full minutes of running, but I knew I couldn't do it as the time approached. I was certainly wearing down, both mentally and physically. I possibly could have pushed myself that extra 3 minutes, but I did not.

So I slowed for two minutes to a walk before running another three minutes. In the remaining 7 minutes of time, I only managed another three minutes of running.

In total, I walked at 4 MPH for 7 minutes for a distance of 0.47 miles, I ran at 5.2 MPH for 23 minutes for a distance of 1.99 miles, and I completed in total, with cool down, 2.50 miles in 31 minutes.

As I said, I improved the length of the run over Wednesday by 3 minutes, but given the fact that I ran at a slower pace, I completed a total of .03 miles less than Wednesday (running .16 miles more though). But as I said, no need to despair, the added activity can only benefit me, and I'm happy to get up and do it, even if some days I dread going to the gym, and even if, on other days, I cramp or become fatigued more quickly than others. Every day is different, but if the one constant can be actually working, then I know me and my body are moving in the right direction.