Week 2: Seven and a half miles

30:45 second run/walk ratio
2:11:47 hours
7.90 miles
16.7 minutes/mile

Well, my plan was, after not being entirely satisfied with my time in Surf City, to use the "improve time" setting of my running app, instead of just training to finish, and increase my run/walk ratio to 30:30, and see how it went. I set up a schedule for the OC Half Marathon in May and did my first midweek run on the new setting on the Tuesday after I got home from Huntington Beach, even though I felt tired and had a sort throat and thought I might be coming down with a cold.

And then I did come down with a cold, a bad one that is still lingering, and did no more running or exercising of any kind until today. Skipped all my midweek runs and my long run last week, which was scheduled to be a 5-mile run.

I've been getting gradually better but still have some congestion and low energy today, but I figured I was well enough to do a slow, easy run, and I'd better get back out there if I'm going to be ready for OC. I forgot to check my schedule to see what week I was on in my app, and I thought I'd written 8 miles on my calendar, so when I came to Week 3 at 7.5 miles, I figured, close enough, and used that. Actually was scheduled for Week 5, 9 miles, but 7.5 was enough.

I got started a little before noon. It was a nice, sunny day with a light but cold breeze, around 60 F. I wore long leggings, short-sleeved tee, and my zipper jacket. Sometimes the jacket was a bit warm, but then the wind would come up and I'd be glad I had it.

I took it easy, making no attempt at any sort of speed, but kept up my pace and had no trouble finishing.

I'm glad I'd already registered for OC and made hotel reservations, so I was motivated to get back out there and start running again. It would have been so easy to just stop running after two weeks of being sick. But with a commitment to do another half marathon in three months, I got back in gear and only skipped one long run.