Takin’ It Easy

I’m a “more is better” type of person, so I had mixed feelings when I read Jeff Galloway’s recommendations for training pace in his book Half Marathon: You Can Do It.

My original goal was run 9 minutes/walk 1 minute but a few weeks ago, dropped it down to run 5/walk :30 because I read a Galloway article that encouraged shorter running ratios for maximum happiness/healthiness. Flipping through You Can Do It this morning, I saw a chart that advised me to run 4/walk :30.

I bristled.

I wondered.

I bristled again.

And then when Dave and I went out for our 3-mile run this morning, I tried it.

It was nice. And, contrary to my fears, not easy. Not by a long shot.

Man! Running is just hard, no matter how much I chant “Easy. Easy.” in my noggin, or take walking breaks, or try to slow down, or concentrate on my breathing… it’s just hard.

But fun, too.

And if you subtract my bathroom break from my running time this a.m., I did the 3-mile loop in 29:14 — which is about 8 seconds faster than my previous best time and doesn’t take into account the hardships I faced this morning:

1. My iPod battery was dead so I was forced to listen to my own panting and the snippets of conversation I picked up as I passed and was passed by other runners.

2. The air was liquid. According to WeatherUnderground.com, the humidity today is 75%.

Note to self: Charge iPod after every run or learn way more than you want to know about the voicemail that skinny girl left her ex-boyfriend.