Eight

I bought some "gear" Saturday!!

I went to a local running store, and, MAN, I was the proverbial "kid in the candy store"!!!  I think I could have spent one of my husband's paychecks in there and still not taken home all of what I wanted!!  I managed to restrain myself and bought only the three things I went in there for--a long sleeved tech top (bonus-I got a hoodie), "tights" (which really aren't tights at all, they're tech leggings), and tech GLOVES.

***Warning:  I'm about to step onto my soap box!!***

(I'll let you know when I'm stepping down.)

Having the right gear REALLY does make a difference.

I think if someone is just going to "pretend" to do something (fill in the blank with anything at all, because any hobby/sport/activity/job/etc will work here), then it doesn't matter what gear they use.  BUT, for the person who is SERIOUS about that thing, having the right equipment can make a huge difference.

For example, I "pretend" to play golf (well, I used to, I haven't even gone that far in well over a year)...so it doesn't matter that I have cheap, generic brand clubs.  It also doesn't matter that I play with used golf balls.  (I make a habit of fishing them out of the water hazards I "donate" to when I play.  I give 2 and try to take 4!!)  Having better clubs, or using high quality, "engineered" golf balls would NOT help my game in the slightest, and would also have no impact on the enjoyment factor.  My husband, on the other hand,  loves golf, and plays well.  So using better equipment makes a difference in his game, and therefore his overall enjoyment of it.

I'm serious about running.  In fact, I'm quickly becoming obsessed.  I've committed to the sport, at the very least until Rocket City is over in December.  But, I have a feeling after I have gone that far (no pun intended), it will be a life change for me.  My best guess is that I'll stick with it even after that.  I have no intention of trying to make a certain time on any race I enter.  Since I've never "RUN" a whole race, I don't have a "personal best" to beat.  However, I do intend on training 3-6 days a week for the full year.  Therefore, I believe having the right equipment is essential for me.

I started out with a great HRM/GPS (Garmin Forerunner 405-thanks to my darling husband who is a techy!), and good shoes. (Oh, BTW, they are Adidas Bounce, not Reabok like I think I said in an earlier post.)  I've added to that short list, good socks (with moisture wicking and arch support), good bras (with moisture wicking and ...support...), and the "candy" I bought this weekend (see above).

My favorite purchase was the gloves.  They are AMAZING....and I think they are the best example of what I'm talking about.  On my last (cold-day) runs, I wore my winter gloves.  My hands would have frozen without them, but they were dripping wet (and the gloves were wringing wet) with them.  Today, I used the tech gloves.  My hands stayed warm, but the air was still able to circulate...and when I took the gloves off--my hands were DRY!!!   :D

***Okay.....stepping off the soap box now!!***

 So, anyway, today was a GREAT training day.  I got in 2.3 miles.  I started my intervals at 10 minutes (instead of 15), and I tried to shorten my recovery phases down to a consistent 45 seconds (with a couple of 60 and a couple of 30 thrown in).

I love the feeling there's more run in me when I get home!  It's hard for me to NOT keep going, but everything I've read says to train SLOW and STEADY, so I'm sticking with the plan.

...One more thing before I "publish".  It's really an encouragement to be "seen" by other people.  I'm not talking about all the people who drive past when I'm out there (although that's encouraging, too).  I'm talking about anyone who might be reading this!!  (((LOOK-I have an actual FOLLOWER, and it's not my mother!!)))  I thought when I started, this my words would just be going out into a cyber-space black hole, never to return (or return void), but that is proving not to be the case.

So, to everyone reading this, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!!!  Any comments on ways to improve the blog--or training tips--are welcomed and appreciated.

:D

By the way, Mother, all you have to do to "follow" me is click on the "Follow" button!!