Aspirations

I think I am actually starting to really enjoy running. Up to this point it has been alright and I have been happy with the progress I have made. I like cardio vascular exercise. I like getting my heart rate up and sweating and feeling like I am working hard. I am still a running newbie, but I feel like I am getting my groove.

I figured since I am entered to run a 10k on August 15th that I should probably start running further than 5k three times per week, so yesterday I went down by the river and ran somewhere between 9 and 10k. I mapped out a 10k but the mapping tool I use follows the roads and I ran on the Meewasin Trail and I don't think I quite made it all the way to where I calculated the 5k distance was before turning around to go back. I ran from the Mendel Art Gallery to the water fountain by the playground near Pinehouse Drive and back. My plan was to run for ten minutes then take a one minute walk then carry on running another ten minutes and so on. I managed that for about forty minutes then my runs got to be more like seven or eight minutes with a one minute walk. I still managed my 9-10k in 66 minutes which I am happy with. I was hoping to do the 10k on August 15th in 75 minutes or less, which I think is definitely doable.

There aren't an awful lot of choices for races to run in and around Saskatoon so I was looking online at different races that are offered in Alberta. I came across one called the Dinosaur Half Marathon in Drumheller in September. It looks pretty cool, but I don't want to push myself to run a half marathon by September. I am fairly comfortable with 5k now and 10k is not unmanageable but 21k would take a lot more training. I am thinking that possibly if I keep running over the winter (thinking about getting a treadmill, or possibly a City of Saskatoon leisure pass) that maybe by next spring/summer I could consider a half marathon. I can't believe these words are even coming out of my mouth. I used to think runners were crazy. Why in the world would anyone want to run 21k?? Or even 42k?? Crazy people! I used to think. Now I think that it is a great personal challenge. I like that I don't need to compare myself to other people. I know I am a pretty slow runner, but I am still amazed that I am a runner!