Here I am, having completed the eighth week of my eight week running program. Have I miraculously become able to run for 30 minutes straight? Hah! Not a chance. I am, however, still working at it, and that is what I deem to be most important.
I was travelling again this week, to Las Vegas this time. Ah, the sun and the heat were wonderful. An early morning (7:00) run was perfect - about 65 degrees and not too bright. The only problem was that as I gasped through my mouth, my mucous membranes became decidedly un-mucous-y. I think I might try chewing gum while I run for a little moisture.
As much as I loved running outdoors, I discovered that running on asphalt is really hard - all puns intended. My knees bothered me way more after two days of running on sidewalks than weeks of running on the treadmill. I've always thought that if I were a runner, I'd be a trail runner. This week was further proof.
Another first this week was running with someone else. Lisa and I went together on Tuesday; it was the first time she'd ever run with someone else, too. We agreed that the two miles went much faster with someone else, even though I'm sure I slowed her down with my need to walk occasionally.
Lisa also introduced me to a new toy I absolutely must have: a Nike+iPod Sport Kit. It's a small chip-like item that you attach to your shoe (Lisa uses a small shoe pocket, but some Nike shoes come with a hole in the sole for it to fit in) which interfaces with your iPod to track your run. It records speed, mileage, time, etc., all of which can be downloaded to the Nike website for ongoing tracking. I think it will do a lot more, too. I'll figure it out as soon as mine gets here and let you know!
