Wednesday, July 7, 2010

OK, I Guess One About Running

I'm getting (slowly) back into running. I have gone on a little run/jog for three days of the last three weeks.

This week I read the perfect post for me from a fellow running momma's blog (her blog is actually titled Runner Mama). It talks about base training and how important it is to train your cardiovascular base before working too hard on speed.

I remember when I first started running (about two years ago this month), my running coach emphasized the importance of training in my correct heart rate zone. I was in excellent cardiovascular shape (from aerobics and elliptical machine) at this point and I honestly thought - I swam for 12 years without a heart rate monitor, I think I go this covered. Well, I slowly got wise to the whole zone training and heart rate monitor thingy and I fell in love with my Garmin when I got it last June.

My heart rate monitor really came in handy while I was preggo and I was glad to have it for all my marathon training last year. When I returned to running a few weeks ago, I thought - I'll just ease into it at first. I didn't wear my Garmin or my heart rate monitor because I didn't want to get discouraged. However, after reading the post from Runner Mama I started to remember that IT IS important for me to know my heart rate and to train in my proper zones.

I went out on Tuesday and discovered that while I was going the incredibly slow turtle pace of 12:45 min/mile - my heart rate was 170! While pregnant I could do 11 min/miles and keep my heart rate around 155. I'm trying to look on the bright side of this revelation - I can really only improve and I have a ways to go.

Now . . .onto a picture of Cash - here he is learning to fold laundry - kid has got to earn his keep!

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