90-Minute Runs and Lovin' It ... Seriously

I haven’t written a training blog in a while. So how’s it going? Great! I worked in a 90-minute run yesterday and then a 95-minute run today. I’m down seven pounds. Life is beautiful!

Running slower allows me to run more and run longer, which I love. The biggest challenge for me has been keeping my focus on staying in my heart-rate zone. My natural tendency is to push myself and run harder. So even though the treadmill is only going 5.3 MPH, I need to maintain a laser-like focus on adapting my form (gait/stride) to that pace.

But I'm doing it and I’m seeing progress.

I’m grateful to the treadmill because I think it would be so much more difficult to run the slower speed outdoors. I’m hoping that once the nicer weather arrives and I'm back on the pavement, I’ll instinctively know where my heart rate is at and can adjust easily without having to check my watch every 10 seconds.

One thing I have noticed is when I'm fully on with running, weight lifting takes a back seat.  I try to target 60-minute runs every day, though as I wrote up top I’ve been increasing that. As a result, I haven’t lifted. I need to strike a better balance.

My other observation is that heart rate training requires consistency. (Doesn’t everything?) For example, I didn’t run this past Saturday thru Monday. That translated into an even slower start pace on Tuesday -- dislike! All the more reason to make sure I stick to daily running, even if it means running in the evenings, which I hate (I’m a morning girl).

In terms of diet, Matt and l are still off sugar and loving the payoff -- weight loss and increased energy (case in point: 60-95 minute runs). Our kids continue to adapt too, with the exception of Dylan. If we can get him fully in our camp, that’ll be some win. We keep working him. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

What have your wins and challenges been since the New Year?

These days he's what I imagine

I look like on the treadmill!