Slow and Steady

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Canine Speed Coach


So this New Year's thing is really supposed to get people motivated. I am still working on that. I was excited to maybe hit the gym yesterday. Didn't happen. My family & I decided to head up to the hills after a family party. Hills=Great workout right? Nope, but I did pack my workout clothes so I did have good intentions. I had a great time with family eating way too much food so I chalked it up to a rest day.

Today, again big ideas about running in the hills. Again, didn't happen. We came home early so I thought for sure I could hit the gym. Nope. But do not fret friendly readers it is only day 2 of the New Year and I have not fallen off the wagon yet. My trusty canine companion and I took a little jaunt up to the University and back. I am glad I got out, but am not sure how I am going to go from 13 minute miles back down to 10 minute miles. Ideally I'll break that 10 minute mark sometime in 2010, even if it is just for a local 5K.

Tomorrow there is a 5K at the state capital. I feel like I should run it as a source of motivation and feeling of accomplishment. The other part of me wants to save the $30 and the drive and just do a run on my own. Especially since I am clocking a 13 minute pace. I actually have a partner lined up for a 10am 'ish run, so maybe instead of feeling like I failed by not heading to the race I will still feel accomplished by still running with a friend. What to do? What to do?

While I love human interaction, I really do need to embrace the canine companion angle. I read about it all the time, people love running with their dogs. There's the whole reliability thing, I mean what else does my dog have planned? The unconditional love, e.g. I can skip walking her and she still loves me. Finally there is that built in speed coach. I am trucking along at 13 minutes a mile, my dog is not phased by this pace and I am confident she will encourage me to get my time down. So why don't I get out on the roads early and often? Well I am working on the early bird thing and as for often, yeah I am working on that too. Mark a star on the calendar folks because Elaine "Lainey" and I got our run in today, just wish us luck on making it a daily thing. Just so my other dog does not feel neglected, stay tuned for runs with Arthur. While he is not built for speed (good thing, cause I'm not fast) he is that trusty dog who will chug along on days when I need to run, but could do without Lainey's energetic vibes.

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