First run down!

Today was a big day- I had an algebra final, hopefully the last math course of my life, and I also started my new, experimental running program. The less said about the math, the better, so let's focus on the running.

The route I found for myself is a loop around a small neighborhood just down the street from my own. Our neighborhoods are surrounded on two sides by farm land, so the views are at least half good, and the loop is a conveniently perfect mile. Cresting the hill on the back half of the loop is a gorgeous sight, particularly around sunset- looking westward over cow fields and corn fields, dotted with houses and barns. The giant stadium in the middle distance is maybe not aesthetically perfect, but makes me nostalgically happy anyway.

The plan for today was to do a Fartlek walk/run over a 1.5 mile course. And indeed, that's what I did! In my previous attempts to turn myself into a runner, I've been way too attached to measuring things- timing my run intervals, figuring out exact distances, pushing myself too hard to get to where I "should" be according to someone else's timetable. This time, I'm trying to let go of all that. The only thing I timed was the entire time it took me to cover the distance, so I can keep track of whether or not I'm improving at all.

It was liberating. I ran when I felt like it, and walked when I didn't. I didn't feel exhausted at the end, but just a little tired, with my calves just starting to feel worn out. It felt more like playing than a workout, which is definitely what I was looking for. My goal in all of this is never to push to the point where running feels like torture rather than recreation.

Workout: Fartlek walk/run, 1.5 miles
Time: 21:42
Pace: 14:28 per mile