Takin' It Easy

As the date of my first marathon inches closer and closer, I am ramping up the running mileage to condition my muscles and my mind for the daunting distance I will face. Yesterday, I needed to get a nine mile "easy run" in. This means I need to slow down the pace and get pure mileage in. I usually run what's known as a "dress rehearsal" which means I am running just as I would in a competition setting--pushing my limits and working to imrove my pace and time at a given distance. This is okay, but not appropriate for getting miles in. One of the greatest challenges is getting to race day without injury, and running races every day will surely prove detrimental as training. Anyway, I also needed to get a haircut yesterday, so I plotted a course from the gym to my barber shop configuring a nine-mile route and just ran to the barber shop! Two birds with one stone! It worked out well, and I found myself pacing around 10-15 beats under my usual race cruising heart rate. It was a beautiful day, so I just zoned out to the music and tried my best to keep a consistent pace. When I finished, I was not worn out, not hurting, and I understand what "easy running" is all about. I will do another easy run today and also this week I have a speed workout, a long run, and some rest, recovery, and cross training as well. I am testing out the iphone application from Runner's World Magazine, "Smart Coach", which customizes a running training schedule based on your timeframe, how many miles you can put in per week, and even provides goal paces based on your recent race time. Check it out by clicking on the title to this blog. Have a great day everyone--"take it easy!" Thanks for reading!