Does anyone still read this blog? Maybe if I ever updated, they would...
Much has happened in my running life since moving to Denmark. I guess I kind of saw running as an outlet from all the stresses that were hitting me at once and ended up concentrating pretty heavily on it. I worked for a long time on being able to run 4 and then 5 times a week. I also worked on upping mileage, topping out one week at about 35 miles. I still hope to get to around 40 miles a week and hold it there before I decide what to do next.
I've been working on speed as well. I do more tempo runs now (generally at around 7:10 pace or slightly slower, maybe more like 7:20) and some faster miles (at around 6:20 pace.) My easy runs are now at around 8:15 pace. It's crazy that that would have seemed so fast earlier this year but that now it is totally easy.
My long runs have hovered at about 10 miles, mostly because I haven't worked on eating while on the run. This week, however, I did a 12.5 mile run, so maybe I can work on lengthening the...length...of my long runs.
Running in Denmark is fabulous. There are so many runners here. It is nothing like it was when I lived in France and everyone looked at me strangely whenever I went out running. Here, everyone runs, and I feel like a Dane most when I'm running! Most often, my runs take me either through a swampy marsh, through a beautiful desiduous and conifer forest or up the Ringgade, a street that runs around the center of town.
As it is almost the new year, I am looking forward to what I hope to accomplish in running this coming year. Hopefully I'll post about that soon. In the meantime, here are some 2010 running accomplishments to look back on...
1. Building up mileage from 10 to 35 miles a week.
2. Extending long runs from 4 to 12 miles each.
3. What a "fast/hard" run feels like: from 9:00 pace to 6:20 pace
4. What an "easy" run feels like: from 12:00 pace to 8:12 pace
5. Coming in 3rd at a local 5K
6. Adding running days from 3 to 5 days a week.
7. Adding tempo sessions
2011 goals to come soon....
