The Little Heart Beats So Fast

Another wicked bout of insomnia last night. Was up until 6 am for no reason. Was going to let it destroy all my plans for the day (and indeed I did not get any marking done) but after another meeting for my group project I decided that damnit, I was getting five runs in this week.

Headed out once it was dark, which is easily my favourite time to run, and just after it finished raining apparently, which is also another favourite of mine. I always fear that I will be too cold, but about 7 minutes of pumping blood cures that really quickly.

Again I went with the time goal, wanting to run for at least half an hour. My pace was pretty modest for the first 10 minutes, and while I did push myself a lot more for the middle third, I never felt like I hit any of my previous highs of exertion. But I just felt like I needed easing backing into the routine. It's ridiculous how easy even just two days off made it to throw off the rhythm. I saw how easily it would be to give things up like I normally do.

So anyways, I did a 31 minute run, and the distance I covered was 5.196 kilometers. So even though I felt like I wasn't pushing myself really (except for the last 5 minutes which were killer) I actually shaved some time off, and moreover, was able to do 5k with less effort.

When I got back I collapsed on the chair outside on our deck. I could feel the blood pumping in my head, in my chest, exactly to the 4/4 beat of the music in my headphones. Talk about a pacemaker.

Albums bumped while running: The Field's From Here We Go Sublime.



Stay true.

"New opportunities, what can I say..."

Just got back from my run a few minutes ago. At first I thought it was going to be too easy, but then my route back home was a tour de force of steep hills.

I was actually only running for about 20 minutes this time, but I feel like that is still progress, since I did approximately the same amount (time adjustments for sharp incline difficulty) in less time, and moreover, with less exertion and more endurance. I mean, I felt good at the end still, despite my exhaustion, not like I had pushed myself to my absolute limits. Which is probably a healthier attitude than expecting to give more than I really can every time.

It's strange. Having grown up a chubby-to-fat kid (depending on the year), I built up an armor of cynicism towards these kind of activities that is still just starting to break down. I'm still surprised every time that I enjoy getting out. I often feel like I must look ridiculous, like I'm jogging like a senior citizen taking those baby-ankle-pop-steps, but then I catch my reflection and realize that I really am running like any normal person.

I'm hoping to be able to run 5 or 6 kilometers by the end of next week. That's probably an absurd goal, so I wont oversell it.

Albums bumped while running: Dizzee Rascal's Boy In Da Corner.

Stay True.