Back to running!

Yesterday I headed to Prospect Park to get back into running after almost two weeks of not running. My S.O. graciously agreed to accompany me, so I ran without headphones. Due to time constraints we started where we entered the park, which left the Hill-o-Doom for near the end of the run. This was a good thing, as the Lilac 5k, which I'm running in on the 23rd, has all the inclines on the second half of the run. Woo hoo.

It was a beautiful day for a run, crisp and clear, with very little wind. It was a little on the cold side for me, but I was comfortable wearing a light running jacket over my usual running gear.

I started out strong, and kept my pace in check for the first mile of the run. I started to feel it in the second mile, and was a little worried how I would feel when we hit the Hill-o-Doom, especially after my doomed running attempt in Maine was thwarted by hills.

By the time we hit the hill, I was definitely feeling my time away from running, but with my S.O. cheering me on, I pushed through to the top of the hill, then dropped my pace way down for a bit to recover.

When we finished the 3.35 mile loop, I was left with a time of 41:42, which works out to an average pace of 4.82 mph. Not bad for having taken almost two weeks off.

The next two weeks will be about increasing my pace and endurance. I'm planning on taking the three days before the race off from exercise, so I go into the race fresh. That leaves me with four runs until the big day. I'm starting to get nervous!