Zombies, Run! 5K: Week 2

Week 2 Work Out:

10 minute walk

5 cycles of:
30 seconds running
5 heel lifts
90 seconds walking

10 minute free form run

W2D1: We went up to the C&O Canal to run today. It was a nice change of scenery from running in the development. I had a great walk/run. (Tim had more of a frustrating run as Penny wanted to investigate every person, bike, and other dog they passed on the Canal.) For the free form run, I did a solid 2 minute run/1 minute walk ratio. It was my best pace since restarting training. I find trail running to be easier so I was curious to see how it would compare the next day.

Distance:  2.23 mi   Duration: 33:24 mins Avg Speed: 4.00 mph Avg Pace: 15.00 min/mi

W2D2: It was a little windy, but it felt great to be out in some sunshine. I really enjoyed the app today, too. One of my favorite characters, Sam, ran "with" me today so there was the most storyline in the workout since the intro episode. I upped one of my running intervals during the free run today from 2 minutes to 3. I was anxious to see my pace, and thrilled to see it was just a little behind my pace from day 1--and that was going back to road running. I will say that I feel weird doing heel lifts in the middle of our development. I'm sure people think it's strange to see me stop running and then lift up on my toes 5 times before walking again. But, I think the stretching during the intervals really helps my muscles recover. My calves have felt great all week.

Distance: 2.20 mi   Duration: 33:15 mins   Avg Speed: 3.96 mph Avg Pace:  15:09 min/mi

W2D3: Best pace/speed yet! Woohoo! Today was the nicest day we've had in a while. Sunny and high 40's, but still pretty windy. I was honestly surprised that I got my speed over 4 mph today. It felt so difficult at times, but with a lot of things in life, the difficult part wasn't as much physical, but more mental. I didn't sleep well the night before and was just having one of those days where I felt emotional and "blah". (Ladies, you know what I mean.) The great thing about exercise is getting those feel good endorphins flowing. After my run, I was at a better place mentally than I had been all day.

Distance: 2.22 mi   Duration: 32:43 mins   Avg Speed: 4.06\mph   Avg Pace: 14:46 min/mi

Looking ahead to week 3, I think it's going to be the first week to really challenge me physically. Longer intervals of running and more free form runs (where I really like to push myself!) so I'm hoping to see a lot of growth over the next 3 workouts.