Mile 3 Marker photo, by Nick Humphries, from flickr.com
I started running this morning thinking I’d do 4 miles. Midway I changed my mind and decided to do 3 miles instead. I think from now on, unless the weather is just completely atrocious, that’s going to be my routine – to run either 3 miles or a 5K.
This is for a few reasons:
- It’s Monday, so enough said.
- It’ll get my heart pumping and going and still (hopefully) give me some time to get some work done on the stability ball afterward, while allowing me to get to work on time;
- This way I’ll have an idea of what my time for a 5K race should be. I definitely want to do some races of that distance this year – I feel like I need to mix it up. Run some short races, and some longer ones.
- It’ll remind my legs what it is like to run fast, just in time because indoor track is on Tuesday.
- It’ll be kind of like a tempo run, but I won’t call it that because that term, well, just scares me. Irrational, I know.
I am very happy to say that these were my splits:
- Mile 1 = 9:35
- Mile 2 = 9:30
- Mile 3 = 9:26
Considering it was about 22 degrees outside, with a wind chill making it about 14 or less, and it was snowing, I’ll take it, happily. This weekend it’s supposed to be down around zero, so I’m trying not to think about what the long run will be like – last Saturday it was about 14 when I started, and 32 when I finished (what a difference almost two hours will make.) I did like running in the snow, though – somehow it makes the world seem “softer.”
The only bad part about the run today was when I almost got run over by a pickup truck coming out of Dunkin Donuts. Why is it that drivers don’t look right AND left when they pull out of a parking lot? He looked left, but that was it. I let out a blood-curdling scream of “STTTTTTOOOOOOOPPPPPPP!” and then he looked over to see me. I gave him a dirty look, then he yelled something about not seeing me and some other stuff (at this point, I just kept running.) I admit, I thought of giving him The One Fingered Salute (also affectionately known as The Bird) but then I was like “ok, it’s not even 6:30 a.m., and I just don’t feel like getting into that kind of crap yet this morning.” So I just kept running.
Ah well, it was a good start to the day anyway. Hope you all had a good one too. I’m grateful the pickup driver heard me and didn’t hit me.
Middle-of-the-Pack Girl 
January 12, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Nothing wrong with a 3 mile run : )
January 12, 2009 at 10:44 pm
I’m very glad the pickup driver didn’t hit you as well!!!
There is nothing wrong with 3 miles on a monday morning!! You got out in the dark and cold-that’s more than most peeps will do!!
January 13, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Thanks Penny, me too!
January 13, 2009 at 12:28 pm
I am glad the pick up driver didn’t hit you either! When I’m running, I just assume they don’t see me, because most of the time, they don’t.
Great job on your run and in the cold!
January 13, 2009 at 4:49 pm
I try to run behind those cars even if I have to make a gigantic effort to do so. ITs just not worth it. The only time I pass in front is if they wave me through. I am impressed at your ability to get out the door on a Monday morning, especially in that cold. I know I couldn’t do it. I can rarely get up to run on a Monday morning as is!
January 13, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Yeah I realized that might be the smarter thing to do – thing is, that place is so-o-o busy in the morning I might run the risk of getting hit by even more cars if I did that. I’ll have to see about that next Monday morning!
And yes, it is hard on Monday morning but I tell myself that it will get me started off on the right foot and running early usually puts me in a good mood. I need all the help I can get on a Monday morning!
January 13, 2009 at 10:46 pm
i think that’s great reasoning for less-than-desirable running days. at least you are still getting out there. and check you out! sub-10s the whole time. you probably need to just go ahead and aim for sub-9s 🙂 don’t go too hard though, save that energy for those tough tuesday track workouts. glad you didn’t get hit by the trucker! i hate when people don’t look!
January 14, 2009 at 10:44 am
Eeeks. I hate close calls like that. Glad you avoided a collision. A caffeine-deprived driver at that hour is not a good thing.
January 14, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Yep, that’s why I decided to not get into an argument with the guy. His truck was much bigger than me!