Slow and Steady

I think slow and steady is a pretty appropriate description of many things in my life. Certainly it describes my running, though only for short periods of time. I did 8.5 miles in three runs last week. I'm struggling to get 3 miles in each time I run. Without a steady program, I'm finding it a little hard to get into a rhythm. I don't like running the loop at the park because its too short and I'm tempted to stop rather than go out on another lap. I tried to run on the greenway path, which I think will be better for me because the real decision on how far I run will be made when I turn around. However, its really really really dark out there in the morning. I'm not really afraid of anything, but its somewhat uncomfortable not being able to see while i'm running. I might have to go out and buy one of those headlights if I want to continue that. So I've been mixing it up. Last night I stayed up later than I wanted, so I ended up running at the gym after work. I did a full 5K on the treadmill in a little more than 38 minutes.

So for now I'm thinking that I'd like to start to increase my mileage, but I think I'll do that by adding a day of running at first. This week I'll run 3 miles 3 days, then next week I'll add a day, maybe one a little less or 4 full 3 mile runs. I'll try to keep that steady through the end of the year and then build up some more mileage through the spring until I can run at least one 6 mile run a week with a target of running a 10K next summer.  Hopefully that will be the Peachtree, but if I can't run that one, I'll find another.

I know its going to be a tough go through the winter.  Hopefully this winter will be mild and I'll be able to get some good runs in outside. And I need to continue losing weight. The only way that I'm really going to be able to increase my speed will be to drop more weight. This past saturday I tipped the scales at 268lbs, which is 49 from where I started and probably the least I've weighed in 8 years. I celebrated that with a semi pig out at the fair, so 50 lbs may be a week away, but I'll get there.

I don't know if its because I'm more aware of it, but I'm finding that there are a lot of people that I know who are runners. I'm still too slow to enjoyably run with them, but I look forward to being able to run socially as well as just pushing myself. I can't wait for the day that someone who comes along with me to a race doesn't have to hold themselves back to stay with me.

One more cool thing. I got a ChromeBook today at work.  Its a nifty little machine. I like the interface, because I use the chrome browser all the time anyway. The Citrix Receiver works great on it though I don't think that we have a site set up for external access, so I can only run my apps at work. The battery life seems to be really good too. Well, too bad I can't keep this one, but it may be a good cheap alternative for something portable at home.  I think it comes with 3G built in too, though I don't have it set up.