I graduated today. There was no cap and gown, no Pomp and Circumstance, no streamers or confetti or wild all night parties. It was just me, the ducks and herons, the squirrels, what was probably a skunk (smelled but not seen) and the rain. Yes, it rained on my final day of the C25K program. I don't recall having run in the rain previously. It wasn't bad at all. In fact, I sort of enjoyed it. If it had been much colder out, it may have gotten uncomfortable. Thankfully, it was just a light rain and I didn't end up soaked. My socks stayed dry, so no soggy squishy feeling with each step.
I've learned that I love the feeling I have right after a run. It's like I can taste the oxygen in the air and my head is completely clear. I'm looking forward to increasing my distance and hopefully my speed.
Other than the rain, there was nothing remarkable about today's run. I started running, I got tired, I pushed myself to keep going anyway, everything felt just right for a few minutes, I realized I was close to the 30 minute mark so I ran faster, then I was done. I didn't have to run around the parking lot as much today. Just a small circle at the end to run out the last few seconds was all I needed. I tried to maintain the same pace as Sunday but was obviously a little slower. I'm to the point where I need a good fitness watch to monitor at least my pace and distance. Estimating based on strides per minute is okay but I want to know exactly how fast and how far I'm running. That may have to be an after Christmas gift to myself.
Today's stats: 2.85 miles in 34 minutes. That's a pace of 11:56/mile.
Next Up: I'm going to continue to add time at the rate of 10% per week. So, my next three runs will be 33 minutes each. The following week will be 36 and the following week will be 40. I may stop at 40 and start working more on speed at that point. I'm still searching for a 5K around the first of the year. There are several in the area in January and February, but I haven't picked one yet.
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