The Streak Ends :(

Due to various circumstances, not least of all the weather, my run streak has ended already.

I am pretty bummed about it, but what the heck? I can always start a new one. This one lasted just five days, so I suppose my aim is to at least beat that.

It was a pretty crappy weekend overall. Not to say that everything was bad – it started out nicely with a run in Delaware Park with my buddy Amy F., and I got to visit a farmer's market and have lunch with another new friend on Saturday. After that though, it all went down the tubes. I won't get into specifics, but I am sure my PMS didn't help. And did I mention the constant stream of rain today? Blergh.

The reasons I didn't run today were:

• Rain
• Fatigue and soreness (i.e. someone overdid it this week!)

OK, so those were the only two reasons. Sounds kind of wimpy but looking back on the week I realized that I might need to dial things back a little on the exercise, especially if I want to keep running consistently. I need to be realistic. Until I get a leaner and stronger, it's probably wise for me to take it a little easier on myself so I don't get hurt and/or burned out. It's easy to think that I can do anything I set my mind to, but the reality is that I am still very overweight and I am not such a spring chicken anymore. (I'll be 45 next week!) Naturally any physical activity is still going to be more challenging for someone like me than someone who weighs a lot less.

Joyful at the group Pub Run – with my brand new
Nathan hydration gear! I've got nice new
running-appropriate socks, too!

That said, I think what I really need to do is not try to go so crazy with the mileage too soon. Working on the Galloway 10K training schedule has been great, but I also wonder if the long run progressions are happening a little too quickly for me – another mile added on every two weeks. On Thursday, I did a three mile group social run that I ended up walking about a half mile of (the heat got me!), and then Saturday had a four mile run on the schedule. I set out to try but also did not feel very confident when I have been struggling with three. I ended up running two miles straight, then walked about a mile and a half, then finished off with a final run the last half mile or so. I wasn't super thrilled with that, but I was happy that I logged the miles.

These days one mile is almost, dare I say, easy... I feel confident at two. Three always feels like stretch, so maybe the plan should be to have my base two miles to build on at quarter-mile increments. 2.25 next week, 2.5 the following week, and so on. Maybe it won't even take that long, who knows? I just really want to feel at three miles how I do at two, and it just hasn't been happening.

This coming week, I have a 5K race on Thursday evening to run. I think that I'm going to come back to the run streak the week after. Until Thursday I am going to take it WAY easy, maybe not running at all. I'll do the race, and then see how the weekend goes. I have a lot on my plate this week and I think it is perfect timing to take a bit of a break, then go into things full force again the following week.

Post-run stretching riverside in Niawanda Park on Saturday morning. Heaven!

Weight-wise, unfortunately was up two pounds this week. That was a bummer, but not as bad as I thought it would be. Many factors there: A poor last weekend of eating, a binge the day before weigh-in, and lovely PMS. I'm not too worried about it, and having just looked at my chart on Happy Scale comparing to last month, I had the same exact blip at the same exact time, followed by consistent losses. So, as usual, onward. Here's to a fresh and shiny new week!