Feels like fall and progress

Since the weekend,  the temperatures have started to drop. Sevrine is not such a big fan of the cold, but colder temperatures normally mean faster runs for me. This morning was no exception. I planned on just 2 miles today and wanted to do it based on feel and not look at my watch. I still had my watch set to alert me if I exceeded or fell below my target heart rate zone but wanted to just run today. My watch alerted me once, but surprisingly it said I had fallen below even though my pace was good. Naturally I picked up the pace. When all was said and done I had completed the 2.15 miles in about 10:30 pace, which is a whole minute faster per mile than my normal training pace. I was almost surprised that I wasn't panting at the end of the run. I can't wait until the next one.

Progress is progress

So, we know that I have changed up how I train. Going slow is both hard and hugely motivating for me. While I hate going slow, I love that I don't need to want to take any walk breaks on my runs. Even when the hills seem extra hard I know that at this slower pace its not necessary.  Today was on e of those days. In the first mile my right calf and Achilles were tight and sore. Just after that mile is the longest and steepest incline of my run. By keeping my pace easy I felt like the hill was much easier than I would have previously.

So, the little progress I've made is this: while maintaining the same heart rate average I'm running 15 seconds per mile faster than in the first 2 weeks of this new training method. It's not much, but its progress, and with all of the hills I'll take it. I can't wait to see how this will effect my 5k time.