Y5K #7

• Well... I did bring my running stuff to Disney World. So I guess I AM one of those people now. :) Went for a run Wednesday afternoon in Orlando's 90 degree weather. Did my first 2.5/2.5 walking/jogging split and did 2.9 miles along some paths, boardwalks, and sidewalks leading from our hotel to various Disney parks and shopping districts. Saw "Disney Hollywood Studios", whatever that is, then went back the other way and did a loop around the "Boardwalk" shopping area that's apparently quite near to the entrance of Epcot center, which I didn't actually see.  So 2.9 miles in just over 40 minutes, I think.

• In the midst of a 10 hour (each way) road trip (more to come on that later), I woke up bright and early on Saturday morning in La Grande, OR (in large part due to the sun shining through the window directly into my eyes) and decided it was fate telling me to go for a jog. Fortunately for fate I had thrown my running gear in to my suitcase (an extra pair of shoes really is a commitment when trying to pack lightly). So, yes, I guess I really am committed to this project.  In contrast to Wednesday's sweaty run in 90 degree Orlando, this jog started with my being able to see my breath.  I jogged down a hill, past a drive-in theater and on to a main street for a bit, and then back again. Another 2.5/2.5 even split of walking/jogging (not counting my warm-up/cool-down time) 2.9 miles in 38 minutes.

• After catching up on some sleep Memorial Day morning, I headed out for 3.0 miles in 39 minutes. First 2/3 walking/jogging split.  I'm still doing 5 minutes of warm-up walking at the beginning and 5 minutes of cool-down at the end, so I'm still overall doing more walking than jogging, but the jogging segments are starting to be long enough that I can take my mind off checking my watch for a while which actually helps me not think as much about the jogging. Don't get me wrong, it's still taking some mental fortitude in the last few jogging segments once the cement boots show up to not check the time.  But it's nice to see some progress.  And the 5 minute cool down is really more of a cool-down now than it used to be. Definitely ready for some rest at the end...

Anyway, in summary, I went from Florida to Washington (state) last week and somehow still managed to keep up with my training schedule, so score one for me. :)  My foot pain that I was originally concerned about, continues to be more of a bother than a real problem, and now I have other weird complaints to compete with it. I've been feeling a tingling in one spot in the middle of my other foot, maybe a muscle spasm or something.  And my knees are starting to be a little more prone to soreness in the day following a run.  I remember hearing a guy I knew (member of a bishopric in one of my old wards) who ran those crazy hundred mile races talk once about race training, and saying that training is about a lot more than just cardiovascular fitness, but also that training gives the other parts of your body (joints, tendons, bones, etc) a chance to build up their own fitness, so that you are less likely to hurt yourself.  So hopefully taking these weeks and sticking to my program are helping with that.  This week I'll have to step up again to doing 1.5 minutes of walking for each 3.5 minutes of jogging. Maybe I need to start stretching a bit before I run. :)