Yay! Week 2!

Marathon training week: 2/18
Marathon plan: 3 miles

Time of departure: 8:40am
Return: 9:25am
Sunrise: there is no sun. 6:46am
Sunset: 4:26pm
Phase of the moon: Waxing Gibbous, 79% full

Temperature: 46F/8C
Wind Chill: 42F/6C
Dew Point: 42F (why do I care about dew point? I can't remember).
Humidity: 86%
Lake Temp: 47F

Route: 3 miles on the lakefront
Approx Distance: 3 miles
Running buddy: just me.
Clothing: shoes, socks, cotton yoga pants, t-shirt, wind breaker. too easy!

The Drive Activity: there were cars.
Dog beach Activity: didn't get that far. I did see quite a few dogs though.
People tally: I didn't count people but there were quite a few people out.

What did I eat pre-run? A few sips of water. (Yay! 3 miles, I don't have to eat beforehand.)
How did I feel? Awesome.
What do I like about running? It got me out of bed and out of the house this morning. Else, I may still have been there.
_______________________________

This morning was a very gray and foggy morning. This made me very happy, of course. The lake was gray, the horizon line obliterated by mist and low clouds. Small but frequent waves rolled in against the shore. Near Foster Ave beach, when I shut my eyes, they sounded almost like the wind in the trees. Ah, so nice. Most of the trees are without their leaves, their spindly branches appearing to reach up and disappear against the light gray sky. I know summer is a great season. And I do love how I can go swimming and drink frozen vodka lemonades on the beach and just relax in the sun. This is all very nice. I love those times, I really do. But there is something about these darker days that resonate with me on an entirely different level.

It was fun today to go out and run 3 miles and know that I did what I was supposed to do, that I wasn't supposed to run longer, that I was not slacking by not going further. As much as a routine and a plan gives you structure, it also gives you freedom I'm seeing. Rest days, take the day off. 3 mile runs, do the 3 miles, don't run 6. How nice! Follow the plan. No decisions to made. There is a liberty in this.

Today, I only had to stop for one street light, which was super nice. I've decided I won't do any stretching mid-run for these 3 miles, unless I really feel a need, of course. I'll just be easy on myself early on and let my body warm up. I also ran on the grass as much as I could and did all along the lakefront. I figure there is less force of impact going into my body (than if I were to run on asphalt or concrete) and my legs have to work harder to stabilize of the uneven terrain. So long as I don't sprain an ankle, it makes them stronger. I'm not particularly prone to strains, for which I am grateful, so I think this is good for me.

I've started picking up the pace since I'm now remembering how to run. I was experimenting with trying to engage my mula and udiyana bandhas and witnessing how the force of the impact of my feet hitting the ground may distribute differently in my body when they were engaged versus not engaged. It's a subtle sensation, but I felt like there was less slaming and clonking between my shoulders and rib cage, between my ribs and pelvis, with my spine on my sacrum. I'm sure I'll be paying more and more attention to this in the coming weeks. It's a very subtle sensation.