Facing the fact

I love to run. There was a period of a few years where I didn't really realize that, but it's true. I really enjoy swimming, and I love to ride. But deep down, at my very core, I'm a runner. A few years ago, when I was cycling, if asked I would have said I preferred the speed and freedom of the bike. I wouldn't have been lying, but I would have been wrong. Even last year, I would have voted for cycling as my favourite of the three. The problem was, I wasn't running very well. I wasn't running as well as I knew I could, and that held back my enjoyment. But the improvements through last summer into Muskoka and Clearwater, and how I'm turning the corner this spring, I've rediscovered my pure love for running. There's nothing like quickly transporting yourself over terrain under 100% of your own power. It's magical, really.

And that brings me to this morning's run. It was a just a relaxed 8 miler, 3 miles of flats and 5 rolling miles. As usual, this was an entirely aerobic run, not pushing the pace at all, and the first three miles went by in 23:29. Then I mildly picked up the pace, but left all kinds of gas in the tank. On the hills, I went ridiculously easy. On a steep climb, it should be barely above walking to maintain a 4-4 breathing pattern, but that's what I did. And when I got back home, only 37:32 had ticked off the clock. That's a new PB by almost 40 seconds. And I put absolutely no pressure on the run. The way the fitness is coming back is frightening. Semi-following Jack Daniels works really well. I'll be using his programs for the rest of my running career. As long as my legs work, Daniels will have a believer.

So it was a really good morning. Then I used the last day of a long weekend the way it was intended: eat, nap, eat, nap, watch hockey. And maybe eat some more.

Run: 8.4 miles, 23:29/37:32