Last Thursday of March

ERA of WTF……………..joy and resistance

Here we are—the last Thursday of March. I’m not quite sure how I feel about this month; it has flown by.

This week, my goal is to increase my mileage as I train for a half marathon. Today’s plan was a 10K run. I made sure to get up early and get the miles in so that by 7 a.m. I’d be finished and ready to call my friend Beverly. Goals and motivation.

By 5:45 a.m., it was a spring morning at 46 degrees. I knew to dress light—I wouldn’t need many layers. It felt warmer than expected once I hit the streets. As I ran, I had to check in with my body and slow my pace a bit so I could stay strong and steady. My goal is to run more and walk less. I warmed up with Bengay and took a couple of Aleve, though I probably should have taken it an hour before heading out.

I ran along the waterfront—Pier’s Park, the Tall Ships, and back toward Maverick Square. There were a couple of other runners out, though I noticed they weren’t wearing reflective gear. I had my headlamp on since it was still dark. It was that early twilight, with the birds already chirping.

After the first mile or two, once my legs were warmed up, I moved into interval training: three minutes running, one minute walking. This approach works well for my knee. I felt good—strong and steady.

My final time was 5.85 miles at an 11:57 pace, finishing in 1:10:01. I had to stop my Garmin early because of my phone call, but I kept walking and talking. It’s all about time on my feet.