Running Through the Pandemic
As I did last Wednesday, today I’m gonna take a look at my fitness routine. We’re still in lockdown here in San Diego but I’ve managed to keep up my daily exercise to the point where I actually topped 20 miles last week. Sure it’s small potatoes when I compare that to the mileage I was putting in when I was training for marathons, but 20 miles in a week is the most I’ve done in at least a year.
I also feel really good about my 20 miles. I have slowly ramped up my daily times and have now been running 30 minutes each day except for the weekend. These get special treatment where I switch from time on the road to mileage. I ran a bit over 3 miles of both Saturday and Sunday, with the plan to put in 3 miles and 4 miles respectively. Saturday didn’t take much longer than my regular 30 minutes but on Sunday, I spent 53 minutes on my feet.
I’m doing pretty well with my averages as well. My Pace has increased from 12:56 minutes per mile to 12:37 while at the same time my heart rate has dropped from 149 bpm over the past 30 days to 138 this week. I’m thinking this is indicative of some decent training effect and an increase in fitness level since I started. Both are things I’m working towards – I’d rather feel good about improving than trying to push my speed.
And I have been definitely improving. Each day I am excited to get out and run and now that I’m running the morning, it makes the rest of the day so much better. I know I’ve accomplished something first thing in the morning and I also don’t have to worry about trying to ‘fit’ in my exercise in theexvening after work and before it gets dark.
Finally, this has been good for my mental state during this pandemic. I get fresh air, sun, and I it’s almost like a game to see if I can keep my streak going.
I highly recommend running and if you’re not a runner, just go for a walk regularly to get some exercise. While social distancing and washing your hands might be important for avoiding COVID-19, the China Flu, or the Wuhan virus, a little bit of exercise will help your life in many more ways.
I guess I kinda look at it like a Blaugust/Blapril for exercise and fitness…jsut see how long you can go.
Ramble 2020.02.11 | Running Through the Pandemic