The Stick saved my legs.

This post is a repost from my Wordpress Blog.

Ok, so my posts here are a very accurate representation of my exercising. No post = No exercising. I will admit that sometimes there is a delay in getting that post up, but if you look at my daily mile account and compare it to here, it is rare that they don't match.

That means I have not been running much in the last couple of weeks. I am having a huge problem with motivation. It is way to easy to have things come up - and let them knock out my exercising. It can be anything from kid's events (understandable, but I am almost always capable of planning around it), to lack of sleep (I need to suck it up, buttercup) to a new video game (talk about a lame, lame excuse.)

I want to be in shape. I want to be running regularly. But all to often its difficult. I somehow don't doubt that this reflects most people's attitudes toward exercise. They want the results, but are having problems putting the work in - for whatever reason.

Well, last night (40 degrees again!) I headed out the door, and decided to do "the loop." - this loop goes down to the South Washington St. Walking Bridge downtown, over to the south side, up to old vestal road, back across the river to the Johnson City Traffic Circle - and on home. All in all, Cardio trainer lists it as 7.25 miles. This has been a very consistent measurement, so I believe it. Well, taking time off and going to six miles did concern me but I just ran at the speed I felt like running while jamming to I Heart Radio. (I love that app.)

It felt good, and my splits were better than I might have thought they would be. I averaged just around a 9 minute mile the whole way.

Mile 1: 8:36
Mile 2: 9:31 <-- 2 major traffic lights.
Mile 3: 8:30
Mile 4: 9:00
Mile 5: 8:47
Mile 6: 9:14
Mile 7: 9:12

I'm pretty pleased with that. If I maintain a 9 minute mile for the Boilermaker It would have me crossing at 1:23:53 - 6 minutes faster than last year. I am hoping by then - I will be down to an 8 minute mile (1:15)

As for the title.. I used my "The Stick" very well after my run. Today? My legs are tired - but NOT sore. I would have expected to be near agony when I woke up this morning. Sometimes its nice to be wrong!