My running legs...

I feel like they are back! I have had some serious doubts recently on whether or not I want to keep running.  Last week's cold set me back once again, and not to continue making excuses... but I am not a natural runner, so pretty much any semi-lengthy break feels like I am just starting over again. I have come to terms with the fact that running will probably never be easy for me, but I will have good days and bad days, and it is totally OK to walk whenever I feel like it! I am trying to take the pressure off myself, but I am a perfectionist in a lot of areas in my life, and that is starting to rub off on my exercise habits. I don't think that is the best feature, so I am working on it... one day at a time, right?

This week has been kind of rough at work, and instead of coming home to pout on the couch and emotionally eat like 'old Katie' would do, I got my running shoes on and worked it out!

This is my excited face. 

I just have to share my success story from today. I wasn't sure what I was going to do workout-wise, but I got my shoes on and headed out the door anyway. It was too gorgeous to just stay inside. I figured my legs would take me somewhere, at some pace, and I'd eventually end up back at my apartment. Well, my legs started running, and (for me) my legs started running fast! I decided to do a 2-mile, mostly flat loop, because I am still warming back up to running since my few days off due to my cold. I finished the first mile at a 10 minute per mile pace, and then I had to slow myself down for the second mile. I wanted to bring my heart rate down a bit, so I slowed it down to a sub-12 minute per mile pace. I finished the 2 miles in 22 minutes flat (with one 20 - 30 second delay waiting at an intersection). I think that is the fastest that I have ever completed a run!

Today's run was a great one. I felt powerful and strong! It definitely gave me some inspiration to 'just keep running...'