It was a perfect day for a winter run – even if the weather was closer to springtime. We’ve got an incredibly rare two-day warm front passing through that started yesterday – it was partly sunny and 56 yesterday and we’ve got more of the same for today so rather than wait till tomorrow and spoil bowling, I figured I’d get my run in today… It will never cease to amaze me how warm 55 degrees is in January but how cold that is in October.
I had planned on a ten-mile run but we’ve got a dinner engagement tonight and I figured my wife would like an alert husband so I cut that down to a 10k but I did it at a fairly brisk pace – 8:15 average. I love it when we get these little warm snaps right in the middle of winter – I know we’ve still got two months left before the temps start on their way back up so it’s still too soon to get me Jonesing for the summer but it’s been so cold for so long that it was just glorious to run in a t-shirt. In fact, we’re back to freezing temps and snow tomorrow – followed by an equally rare deep freeze (highs in the low teens next week).
Also, I ended up checking my heart rate immediately after finishing and I was surprised to find that I was just outside of my zone 2 at the 8:15 pace, but I’d be willing to bet I can run a comfortable 8:45 pace and be on the low-end at about 128-130 bpm… I think I might just have to suck it up and buy a heart rate monitor, but here’s my dilemma: I’ve been fighting the desire to get too wrapped up in the whole technical side of running and riding and I’ve been doing it for a reason; I have more fun when I get to just play around. On the other hand, the competitive part of me is giving the fun part fits. I pushed just a little too hard to really just kick back and enjoy the run but I was infinitely more satisfied for having run hard afterwards (and sill I could have gone another couple of more miles at that pace).
I don’t know, I’ll have to kick it around for a bit. Now the only question remaining is do I take a quick nap and then head out on the fat-tire bike for another 30 or 40 minutes… I don’t know if I can pass that up on a day like this – it’s just too perfect.
So here is the question I put to you, if it can’t be both, which do you prefer: Fun or competition?
Fit Recovery 
Both. We are similar in opposite directions. I can’t enjoy a ride or run without my Garmin. I am considering one workout a week without it. You should try the opposite. One workout a week with it. 🙂
Oh I track my workouts – every single one. I LOVE that having that little computer with me pushes me that much more – if I’m out on a hard ride, mile to mile I have nowhere to hide. The question is more do I really go whole hog and start looking into heart rate monitors and power meters or do I just stick with the fun… I always run into trouble when I try to take things too seriously. If I find out that I’m not all that (and a bag of chips) – then I have a tendency to lose interest… When I’m just having fun and going the distance, I’ll go for years (or decades). I do, however, make sure to turn the volume down on the tracking software at least once a week and on recovery rides.
Should have explained that better.
Easy. If I don’t have a goal (race, compete against myself), it just won’t happen. I hate running that much. 🙂
Chuckle… I hear you.