Day 34: 3.0 miles

I did the math. If I were to run 4 miles today and 4 miles tomorrow, I will have run an even 100 miles for the streak. 

But I'm not going to make it.

And I'm ok with that.

I'd rather be able to keep the streak going longer, than break myself and HAVE to stop early.

I probably shouldn't have done 3 today, to be safe. But the shin felt better today and I could barely feel it when my run started. As I got warmed up, I didn't feel it at all.

I can't believe that tomorrow is the last day of the streak challenge. This wasn't as "challenging" as I imagined it was going to be. Relatively effortless. Of course my flexible work schedule definitely helped since I wasn't having to get up at O'Dark Thirty to run.  Keeping this little streak alive will be difficult inthe  throes of tax season when I'll be forced to run at 6am or not at all. I'm getting all twitchy thinking about it.

Back to today: 3.0 miles. 28:11. 9:24 avg pace.

Post run selfie with Miss Mercedes.

Happy New Year!

Day 33: 3.0 miles

This shin pain is driving me nuts. I took the insole out of the shoes I've been wearing and they are pretty thin where I typically land on my forefoot. They are more worn down than my two pairs of old shoes which have double and triple the miles on. I. Was. Annoyed. So I wore my older blue Pure Flow 1s on my run today to see if that helped at all. I think it did. I also wore my compression sleeves. 

3.0 miles. 29:44. 9:55 avg pace.

I still have my timing chip on them from the last half marathon I ran in June. 

I'm going to start rotating my shoes more, which I should have been doing all along. I guess the foam in the midsoles of some shoes need at least 24 hours to "recover" from a run. I've been wearing them almost daily and so they obviously haven't been getting that "rest" time. Hoping they puff back up a little bit. I'd hate to have to retire them after only 100 miles. I did buy a pair of dr scholls gel inserts to replace the worn out ones but I'm not sure if I'll use them or not.

When my shins heal I want to start wearing my Vibrams again once a week for a short, slow run. They are so fun to run in, but I obviously over did it when I got them because I fractured a metatarsal. (Vibrams+sidewalks=broken foot)

Day 32: 1.0 mile

I stayed out way too late last night and didn't feel the greatest today on top of being super tired.  We celebrated our last Christmas of this year with Karl's family so most of my day was spent there. Just finished my mile at 9:45pm and got ready for bed.

I stupidly didn't change sports bras beforehand and was thus wearing a low support bra. Running any distance with your arms across your chest is annoying. I'm surprised I don't have a black eye.

1.0 mile. 10:54.

Zzzzzzzzzz........

Day 31: 3.1 miles

Huh... I just noticed that I did 3.1 miles on day 31. Totally wasn't planned. I was hoping for 4, but when I hit 3 miles, the thought of running for another 10 minutes sounded like the worst idea in the whole world. So I decided a 5k would be fine.

3.1 miles. 30:41. 9:54 avg pace

I realize the photo is a little blurry. It was fine when I took it. 

I'm having issues with my sports bras lately. They all seem too big. So today I wore two. It was still annoying. I measured myself today and I have NOT lost any inches in the chest so maybe the sports bras are stretched out? That would most definitely be a bummer though because they were expensive and they aren't even a year old.  I'm going to order a size down in the band of the Moving Comfort Juno to see if that helps. If not... I guess I'll just have to pick up some ACE bandages and tape those gals down. I hate bouncy boobies.

Day 30: 2.0 miles

Today it was warmer so I got to test out the new Garmin outside.

I felt like I was having one of those dreams where you are trying to run super fast to get away from something but your legs are moving in slow motion. It's hard running over snow, even with the microspikes. 

The time for the first mile is a little off because I had to walk a bit in order to put my phone in my pants pocket. It was bouncing around too much in my jacket.

Still pleased with the time of 20:56!

And very much in love with the new Garmin. It connects so fast!!!

Day 29: 3.0 miles

This afternoon I cranked out 3 quick miles before I had to get ready to go see The Hobbit with my dad. The shin felt better today so I just went with the faster pace. Since I don't have a training schedule in place I am just going by how I feel... and lately I've been feeling like running fast. Last week I didn't feel like running much at all. Who knows what I'll feel like next week.

There is less than a week left of the challenge and it's making me a little sad. I will likely keep going with the streak.

3.0 miles today in 28:28 with a 9:29 avg pace. 

I looked like death in my post-run selfie so you get to look at my feet today. Lucky you, huh?

Day 28: 1.0 mile

1 Christmas treadmill mile. 9:26. It was so hard to stop at one. I should probably have ran this slower too. Stupid shin. It didn't hurt all day but the first step I took on this run I could feel it. It's just a minor ache, but still... It shouldn't hurt at all. By about mile .75 or so I could barely feel it. Not sure if it's because it's an angry tendon and it jut needs to be "warmed up" or if it's the start of a stress fracture and the pain is being masked by the natural painkillers your body produces sometimes when you run. Regardless, I'm icing my stupid shin. 

I rubbed out my left calf (which is attached to the stupid shin) and it was pretty tight and knotty. I think I rubbed too hard though because a couple of hours later it was sore. Oops.

Anyway... Merry Christmas!!!

Day 27: 2.0 miles

2.0 treadmill miles. 17:32. 8:46 avg pace.

Sweaty post run face.

Now my shins hurt. Again. I REALLY need to do a slow 1 mile run tomorrow. Like really really really bad. Why do I have such a hard time doing a short, slow run?  I don't think I have that hard of a time doing it outside, so it must be a treadmill thing. Ugh. Stupid shins. 

Day 26: 3.0 miles

I could have done more miles today. I wanted to do more miles today. But my shin made me nervous, so I cut it short at 3. 

3 miles; 29:34; 9:54 avg pace

Gotta get back to Christmas preparations. Looks like I'll be up all night. 

Oh, and it's friggin frigid outside. -22 F.

Brr.

Day 25: 3.0 miles

I felt amazing during this run... Except for achiness in my shins of all places. Pain migrates throughout my body. This is nothing new. It happens even when I'm not running. It's just now that I am running regularly, the pain only moves around my lower half (well, and my neck/shoulders.. But that'll never go away). 

Anyway, the shins started aching a wee bit after yesterday's run over the snow. Just going to keep icing them to see if it gets worse or if it just moves on to another area.

Back to the run. I felt really good! When the shin pain first kicked in, I switched over to heel striking, but since I was only at 5.6 mph, it was more like a power walk. So I cranked it up to 6mph. After awhile I switched back to my regular running form but kept the speed at 6. I kept bumping it up in the 3rd mile. The last .10 was at 8 mph. And managed to complete 3.0 miles in 29:56 (9:59 avg)

No nike+ app photo today. I made a run playlist yesterday on YouTube and that app has to be open the whole time. I was going to take a sweaty picture pic anyway... But I switched out the laundry since I was already downstairs and then I immediately wanted to ice my shins. So I forgot. Instead, I found this on Instagram the other day. I'm hoping it won't be too fuzzy when viewed on a computer (I type up these posts in the blogger app on my phone since all my run data and pics are on my phone anyway).

Day 24: 1.0 mile

Today was pretty fun. Karl drove by in the fire truck this morning with Santa and then I got the kids ready and we went to the fire station to go tell Santa what we wanted. By we I mean the kids. I wanted to tell Santa that I wanted the new Garmin 620 but I got too shy. Oh well. 

When we got home I realized that it was a whole 15 degrees outside! Holy heat wave, Batman! I "patiently" waited for Karl to get home from Santa duty at the station so I could get out for a run. Got the whole kitchen scrubbed while waiting. Turned out there was a car accident they were called out to right as they were finishing up and that's why I had to wait an extra hour. Don't worry. Only minor injuries.

My legs certainly felt the 5 miles from yesterday and the 4 from the day before that so I just did one mile outside. If I would have fired up the treadmill I probably would have done 2. The cold air made me feel out of breath right away!

Nike+ app (after calibrating to the treadmill) said I ran 1.01 in 10:18

Here's what the Garmin said:

 1.01 mi in 10:23. I keep forgetting that the app takes a couple of seconds to actually start. I'm going to keep testing it both against the treadmill and the Garmin. I've gotten used to just holding my phone in my hand so it's really not that big of a deal.

So....anyway... Unfortunately for me... The treadmill is pretty close to spot on. Boo. I swore the speed was off on it.

But... Yay for outdoor run selfies!

Day 23: 5.0 miles

I was so irritable this evening I couldn't even stand to be around myself. Several times I even contemplated not running today and just saying screw it. Subconsciously, I knew a run was exactly what I needed because I walked into the bedroom to put something away and in the process grabbed running clothes and got dressed. I didn't have a plan for mileage tonight.. Was just going to go by feel.

5.0 miles, 50:27, 10:05 avg pace.  I ended up calibrating the nike+ app to the treadmill. I can always re calibrate it to the Garmin later.

This is me laying next to the Christmas tree with my legs up the wall. My feet get puffy after I run sometimes. Not sure if this helps at all, but it sure doesn't hurt anything.

Here's my sweaty face, now your day is complete...!

Day 22: 4.0 miles

Boom. 4 treadmill miles. 40:39. 10:10 pace.

That is my "I just ran 4 miles with heartburn" face. Don't eat chips and salsa right before running. Take my word on this. 

My legs started to feel a wee bit fatigued towards the end. I should probably eat more protein. It's just hard when you're so full from eating cordial cherry kisses. :)

I bought 2 running bottoms from the ole Walmart today for $12 a pop. One is a pair of gray leggings and the other is a pair of purple crops. I don't think I'll be able to wear them during outside runs because they are a thinner material and highlight every. single. flaw. But for treadmill runs... I'm sure they'll be fine. Save my lululemon for when people might see me... Haha...

Day 21: 1.0 mile

I pretty much got no sleep last night. I was up late wired from eating lots of cordial cherry kisses when I heard Mercedes start coughing pretty hard around 1:30 am. I went up to check on her and of course, she was awake. So we "slept" on the couch. Well, I tried to to sleep. She watched TV til 3 am, when she finally passed out. Karl gets up for work at 5, so then I staggered into the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed and slept til 7am or so. 

I was fine all day until the sun went down. Then I was just over the top irritable.

I didn't get to my run until 8:30 tonight. 

I only planned on running 1 mile tonight anyway so it all worked out.  My heel/ankle still feels tight and I'm REALLY trying to force myself to adhere to alternating hard and easy days. There is nothing wrong with going slower some runs. Easy days are beneficial. 

I should write those last two sentences out on paper 500 times. Maybe it'd sink in then.

It was a beautiful 20 degrees (F) this afternoon! I wish I could have gotten out for a run, but I took the day off from work and was this home alone with the littles. I might have missed my chance to calibrate the nike+ app until spring arrives.

Today's run: 1.0 treadmill mile in 10:43

I didn't even take my hoodie off or bother  with a headband. I barely broke a sweat and wasn't out of breath. Truly was an easy run.

Day 20: 3.0 miles

Today (December 17) was my birthday.

My 30th birthday.

I celebrated by knocking out 3 treadmill miles in 30:13.

I spent the rest of the evening eating Hershey's cherry cordial kisses, a birthday surprise from Karl. They are my ultimate favorite Christmas candy.

Day 19: 4.25 miles

So ummm... I almost quit today. I just have been in a funk lately, not wanting to do much of anything but lie around under an electric blanket while eating junk food. 

If it weren't for the streak, and this blog, I probably would have just said eff it.

But clearly, I didn't.

I whined and complained the whole time I was changing into my run clothes. I've been chilled all day (the warm up that was supposed to be today is now supposed to happen Wednesday) and undressing=instant chilliness... Plus the basement is not warm... And the treadmill is below a drafty window that's probably 60 years old. I was grumpy about anything that had to do with running. 

I was only going to run 2 miles. Not one step more.

But before the first mile was up, Eminem's Till I Collapse came up in my iTunes playlist. I felt a shiver go through me from head to toe... And I instantly had oodles of energy. I got my mojo back and it was amazing.

The treadmill said I ran 4.25 miles in 43:57, which is about a 10:20 pace. Nike+ app thinks I'm a Kenyan or something. I don't mind... It can think that. (I'm planning on calibrating it on my next outdoor run)

Not really any hip tightness today. Yesterday my ankle gave out on me right away into my run. It didn't hurt or give me any trouble - until after this run. I'm thinking it's related to the slight plantar fasciitis I already have, since the pain/tightness is in my heel and a little bit on the outside of the ankle. I'm going to really work on rolling out the plantar fascia tomorrow because I have a big run planned in a couple days!!

Day 18: 2.0 miles

I had originally planned on rocking out 5-7 miles today... But my head just wasn't in it today. I'm tired and after a couple weeks of eating junky food I feel very... Bleh. My house is a little dirtier than I'm used to and the laundry is kinda piling up. I'm just not feeling like myself at all.

So anyway... I only did 2 miles today. 

Nike+ app says I ran 2.33 miles at a 9:06 pace. I'll hopefully get that calibrated tomorrow.

That's what the treadmill says I ran. 2 miles in 21:31 at a 10:45 pace. 

Not enough to generate some much needed endorphins but more than enough to keep the streak alive so I'll take it.

Not much hip tightness today, but my left ankle gave out on me about a tenth of a mile in. It used to do that on almost every run last year. I'm really hoping that problem isn't coming back!!

Day 17: 4.0 miles

Today I did a little experiment. Yesterday I downloaded the Nike+ app on my iPhone. It has an option on it where it will record your distance and speed just by using the accelerometer in the phone. Despite reviews claiming its accuracy, I had my doubts. For one thing, I have a short, quick stride, and land on the ball of my feet. I would assume that it would think I was running faster than someone with a longer stride that tends to land on their heels. On the flip side, I read somewhere yesterday that people with short, quick strides tend to somehow outrun the treadmill, so in essence they are running faster than the treadmill states because their feet are on the belt for such a short period of time.

I'm not sure if any of that is true, I just found it interesting. In my experience, with my treadmill, I feel like I'm putting in a lot more effort to run at the same pace I would outdoors. Looking at my streak stats it wouldn't seem like that'd be so, as my two outdoor runs are significantly slower than my treadmill runs. I attribute that to being the first runs after a 2 month hiatus... And not bein used to running in 10 degree weather, on a snowy/icy surface, and wearing 50 pounds of clothing.  It's supposed to be warmer on Monday so I'm hoping to get in another outdoor run. 

Back to the experiment... I wanted to see how different the treadmill and Nike+ app would be, if at all. I ran for 4 miles (according to the treadmill) between 5.6 and 6.0 mph. I finished in 41:36.

The Nike+ app, however, said I ran 4.5 miles in 41:13 (I didn't start the app until the treadmill was up to speed. I also stopped the run at 1 mile to use the ladies room so that's why there's a time discrepancy).

I really think the truth lies somewhere in between those two. Prior to my stress fracture, I was frequently doing my shorter runs at about a 9:00 average pace, so I know that the 9:09 pace is possible... I just have a hard time believing that I could achieve those times again with only 2.5 weeks of training after essentially 3 months off.

That outdoor run I'm planning on Monday? I'm going to test the Nike+ app (using the indoor function) against the Garmin. Can't wait! I love stats and numbers.

My hip was really bugging me after the run (again) so I spent some time on the foam roller. I think I've finally isolated the trouble spot. 

Apparently Mercedes has some trouble spots too:

It's a little hard to see, but she's got the foam roller under her side. Future Olympian, that girl. She loves to run fast.

Day 16: 1.5 miles

Holy shiz was I tired today. All day long I felt like taking a nap (and I don't do naps). My legs felt tired. My arms felt tired. I wasn't sore... But those legs.... They felt like lead weights all day. I put my CEP compression sleeves on this morning. Not sure if it helped, but it certainly didn't hurt anything. 

Ordinarily, I would have just called this a rest day, but I have a streak to keep going and a challenge to complete. So... I did run today...

 Slowly... 1.5 miles in 16:24 at a 10:56 pace. It certainly didn't feel like I was going that pace. I felt like I was putting about as much effort as I would at a 10:30 or 10:00 pace. Doesn't sound like much of a difference but it is. I could have even turned the speed down. 

Like my sexy run outfit? Haha

I left the compression sleeves on while I ran. I also tried running in my injinji socks with my Pure Flows. They'd only been used with my Vibrams in the past. I kinda like running with my toes all separated! I'll have to try it again on a longer run.

I'm glad I was kinda dead tired today because I really only had time to do the mile and a half because I was going to go  watch the Varsity boys basketball game. I wanted to see my daughter, Taylor, cheer!

Day 15: 4.0 miles

I was completely and utterly spent after this run. Hence, the one day delay in getting this post up. I was famished (I swear my stomach started growling at mile 2.5) yet I felt like barfing a little.  While I was actually running I didn't feel that tired, or I might have quit early. Might being the key word here... Anyway... I managed to finish in 41:06, which is a 10:16 pace.

Day 14: 4.0 miles

Today I ran 4 miles in 40:25. I felt like I finally hit my "groove" around mile 3.84 and wanted to knock out another couple of miles.  But... I didn't. I was smart. Well... No... Not totally smart. I told Karl I was going to do 3 miles. Do you see a pattern here? 

I stretched and foam rolled my IT band before running to loosen it up. I also rolled and stretched after the run. My left hip is still feeling pretty tight. Boo. I'll try stretching it periodically at work tomorrow.

At the end of my run, Missy Elliot's We Run This song came up in the playlist. At the end, a marching band takes over for the music. I think I need to download some marching band music to my playlist!!!

Day 13: 5.0 miles

I was shooting for 4 miles... Ended up doing 5. This shouldn't surprise you in the least. 51:45 total time which is a 10:21 pace. Not too shabby... 

Because I'm kinda sick of picture-less posts, I took a pic of today's run outfit before I got dressed. Not very exciting. Plum crops from American Eagle, pink Moving Comfort Juno bra, and power purple lululemon swiftly tank.

My IT band is still feeling tight... So I stretched and foam rolled it after the run. Hopefully this foam rolling helps... Because it sure does hurt to do!!!

One thing I am noticing now after 13 days is that I am really hungry in the evenings (a few hours post run) I'm not used to eating this much and still have my pants fit! 

Day 12: 2.25 miles

I did it!!!!! I managed to truly have a slow, short, recovery run. I only ran an extra .25 miles today because I wasn't paying attention to the distance side of the screen. I have to stop at an even distance if I can help it.  Ran those 2.25 miles in 24:34 which is a 10:55 pace. 

I had issues with music today. When it got to Radioactive... It's like it muted itself. I shut my phone off and restarted it... Tried to get radioactive to play and again... It muted itself. When I shut the phone off and turned it back on yet AGAIN, I skipped Radioactive and was able to finish off the run with tunes (and no I didn't stop running while I was fiddling with my phone). I also had issues getting the ear buds to stay in my ears tonight. What the heck, right!? When it rains, it pours I guess!

I'm so happy that I stuck to my original plan of taking it easy today. I woke up the morning feeling really sore in the abs and tight in my left ankle. My abs are sore because I developed a side stitch during yesterday's run and just toughed it out. My whole body just felt tired all day... Until it came time to fire up the treadmill. To discourage myself from pushing the pace and distance, I dressed warmer than I typically would have. I wore yoga pants and a lululemon long sleeve swiftly. I get too hot in a swiftly if the temp is above 50 degrees. My basement is around 50-55. My original plan to discourage running hard was to wear a regular bra... But then I wasn't sure I'd even make it a mile without giving myself a black eye and went with plan B (overdressing). I definitely could have hit 3 or 4 miles (or more) especially at the slower pace. But I truly am glad that I didn't. There's always tomorrow ;)

Day 11: 3.0 miles

Today I hit the treadmill a little bit earlier in the day (around 3:30) while it was still light out. I learned something today. Treadmill running is so much more tolerable/enjoyable when the room is darkened. It's easier to imagine you're somewhere else when you can't see your actual surroundings. Perhaps that might be why I struggled with this run. I couldn't visualize being in the middle if a race surrounded by other runners or alone in the woods on the trail. To add insult to injury, I developed a side stitch around mile 2. Blah. 

I finished this very boring run in 30:59, which is about a 10:20 pace.

Then I ate half of a Domino's spinach and feta artisan pizza. I could have eaten the whole thing. I have had a major case of runchies this weekend!

Day 10: 3.0 miles

I got almost zero sleep last night. I'm talking maybe 4.5 hours. It had nothing to do with the extra mileage I ran yesterday. I just woke up at 4:15 (my arm had gone numb because I was laying on it and I was having a bizarre dream on top of it) and just couldn't fall back to sleep. All day long I was so exhausted, my body just ached. If it wasn't for this challenge... I would never had laced up my running shoes. I would have called it a rest day and played solitaire on the iPad all evening. 

When I was putting my shoes on... I was ONLY going to do a mile. Not one step more. By the time I got to the treadmill a minute or so later, I was already up to 1.5. When I finally got all the settings entered and started up the music I had settled on doing 3 miles. I probably would have done more, but I AM worried about my foot. (I did ice it today and put KT tape on it. I also spent a couple hours researching foot problems. A stress fracture should have healed by now. It's been 3 months! I think I'm going to try a metatarsal pad and see if that helps at all. It doesn't hurt when I run or walk... It just doesn't feel right... And I get a bit of an ache when I move my foot in a certain way. If it wasn't in the same exact spot as the stress fracture I wouldn't think twice about it. I fear the soul sucking excruciating pain again so much that it COULD also be psychosomatic. You never know.)

So anyway... I really really forced myself to not hit the speed above 6 mph once I was warmed up, even though I was right at the front of the treadmill. I finished 3 miles in 31:41 which is about a 10:34 pace.

I decided to add up the miles that I've run this far in the challenge. In the last 10 days, I've run 26.9 miles!

Day 9: 5.0 miles

I fully intended to only run 1 mile tonight. I started to feel a tiny but of pressure where my stress fracture was this summer off and on today (mostly when I'd flex my foot and bring my toes towards me). But... I accidentally ran 5. 

Since I was only going to run a mile... I brought my phone down to just listen to music. And well, one simply does not stop running when Queen is playing. Then after I'd gone past a mile and I was still feeling awesome, I would just tell myself... "I'll just run another mile" while simultaneously turning the speed up. My brain must be addicted to endorphins or something haha

I started out at 5.5mph and ended at 6.5 mph. Total time was 50:51 which is about a 10:10 pace.

I wore my pink pure flows again, my C9 fleece lined running tights, lululemon All Sport Bra, RRS tank, and RRS socks. The socks were new and thicker than I'm used to. Couldn't tell a difference. Might even like them better than my lululemon socks!

Day 8: 3.0 miles

I did my run tonight a little bit later than I would have liked. But... Still got it done! I was being a whiney brat about being cold so I wore my fleece lined running tights. I might have ended up getting too hot in those. I'm not sure. All I know is my legs felt really tired. I probably should have stopped at 2.0 miles.  My brain just throws logic out the window when I'm running and then all of a sudden I'm telling myself I'm a wuss if I quit "early." I really should probably write out a training plan so that I quit doing this!

Anyway, I continued watching The Tudors on the treadmill tonight. I thought about going for an outdoor run today... Until I actually went outside for something. It was probably close to 0 degrees with the wind chill.  No thanks! 

I did fiddle with the speed while running but not too bad. I kept it under 6mph! Finished my 3.0 miles in 31:26, which is about a 10:29 pace.

I wore my pink pure flows again...they make me feel speedy even if I'm not!

Day 7: 3.0 miles

Woot woot! One whole week down! I reeeeeeaaaaaallllllllyyyyyyy didn't feel like running today. I'm starting to feel more fatigued earlier in the day now. Plus... We've gotten like a foot and a half of snow the last couple of days (not exaggerating) and I unfortunately have had to shovel a little bit the last two mornings in order to get to work. 

Anyway... I was whining the whole way down to the basement. I was cold and I just didn't want to go down to the cold basement. I was running for quite awhile before I took my zip up hoodie off. Probably 3/4 mile in. The first minute or so I even had the hood up haha.

I started a new season of The Tudors (Catherine Howard is such a twit) and managed to not touch the speed buttons AT ALL. Go me. Kept it at 5.7 mph the whole time. So... 3.0 miles in 31:36 is something like a 10:34 pace. Smack dab in the middle of my "easy" range. I got a little bored toward the end (I should watch season 2 of The Tudors instead. I'm most definitely a Anne Boleyn fan and I love Natalie Dormer's version of her) but I definitely could have cranked out another mile or two at that pace. 

My left IT band is feeling tight after my runs. I HAVE to nip this in the bud so it doesn't turn into severe knee pain like last time. I ordered a cheapo foam roller from amazon and it should be here tomorrow. Assuming that the snowstorm doesn't hinder it's travel plans! On a positive note, my right foot felt totally fine. The plantar fasciitis in my left foot isn't flaring up either. Keeping my fingers crossed I can keep all of these past injuries in check. I truly am injury prone!!

Day 6: 2.5 miles

Today was another treadmill run. I finished up that episode of The Tudors that I started yesterday. I got to watch the botched execution of Thomas Cromwell. Always exciting haha. This is the first time that I've run this many days in a row, so my body is starting to feel a little bit tight. My left IT band is a wee bit stiff and my right forefoot (where my stress fracture was this summer) is feeling a bit... "off." It doesn't hurt, but something was starting to not feel right in the front of my ankle, as well as some of my toes. For a little bit it felt like there was a seam from my socks rubbing against the top of the made of my toes. That was odd, because my socks are seamless. So... Despite feeling awesome otherwise... I refrained from turning the speed passed 6.0 mph and I stopped at 2.5 miles. No need to run myself into the ground or injure myself this early in the challenge! My time today was 25:34 which is about a 10:14/mi pace. That's probably still too fast for an "easy" run. It's just super hard to run slow on a treadmill because time moves slower, it seems, on it. It's easier for me to pull the reins in outside. 

Day 5: 3.0 miles

I didn't plan on running 3 miles today. I'm trying to so the smart thing and EASE into this daily running after essentially being sidelined for 3 months. I probably shouldn't even be doing 2 miles yet. 

I was watching an episode of The Tudors and I lost a little track of the time. I checked the distance thinking I hadn't even hit 2.0 yet and I was already at 2.37. AND rather than doing the sensible thing of stopping at 2.5, I decided to go for 3. My rational brain typically goes out the window when I'm running. Which, I suppose isn't a BAD thing, usually. Definitely helps keep me from quitting early. But... I'm trying not to injure myself... again. I'm more injury prone it seems than Percy Harvin. 

Still trying to keep it at an "easy" pace of 10:00-11:00 per mile.  I think I need to back down some tomorrow after today's 3.0 mile run in 30:21! 

I wore my pink pure flow 2s again today.

I had a lot less shoulder tightening going on today, but I got heartburn towards the end. Darn spaghetti at lunch!

Day 4: 2.0 miles

Because yesterday was a slightly harder (than I'm used to) workout, I wanted today to be a consistently paced, "easy" run. I set the treadmill to 5.7 mph, turned on an episode of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and covered up the distance screen. When the episode was over I was pleasantly surprised to see 1.97 miles... So I cranked it up to 10 mph til it hit 2.0 miles. That's what any normal person would do, right!? Haha. It probably didn't even get completely up to speed. I've run short intervals at 9 mph before but I don't think I've ever hit the 10 button. 

It took about 11 seconds for the treadmill to get up to speed at the beginning (5.7mph... For some reason it started at like 2.5 and it took a couple seconds to realize it) so I took 11 seconds off my time.

So... Let's say "gun" time was 20:56 and my "chip" time was 20:45.

I wore my pink pure flows again, but I left my purple compression socks on. My feet got REALLY hot. Could be the socks... Could be the treadmill is in need of a lube job.