1,000 Calories Gone - 8+ Miles in Relaxed Run

8.20 miles run (76:48 - 9:22/mile)

1.33 miles walked warm down

total: 9.53 miles

course: Cardinal Fitness

1,000 sweet calories. Exactly. And I do mean sweet calories. Hopefully this makes up a little for my occasional sweet tooth. All gone. That's why my walk distance looks odd; I walked just enough to poke it up to 1,000. 999 just wouldn't do.

McMillan's calculator told me to go slower. This is LSD mode, and I need to treat it as such. Running slower is hard work. My legs like the hop and cadence that comes with a perkier stride, but this is what I need to do. Faster runs are not so far away, and I'll enjoy every inch of them like eating each bite of a New York Strip Steak. Delicious all the way, but for now, this is good. Those 76 minutes will be a nine mile run in the spring.

My recovery was good, as far as pulse rate goes. I'll know better tomorrow how my body reacts. Lots of water will help.

As I add miles, I'm cognizant of potential injuries. I've been careful, but even with a graduated increase, miles are miles. Right now, at four days a week, increasing soon to five, with just 26.xx miles the last seven days, no big deal, but that fifth day, if with it comes six miles, I'll be at 31.xx miles in a week, and then, 35-40 miles quickly follows. This moves into an injury zone. One week here and there may not make an impact, but several hard weeks might.

Soon, it is March. Warm weather will pop up, and I need to exploit these days with path running. Easier on the knees, ankles and Achilles tendon. Just 66 days away from the official start of spring.