Pushing it... literally and figuratively

Seriously... it does not take me long to get behind on blogs. Oh well. Here's the rundown for this week:

Monday: 5 miles on the treadmill, nothing crazy. I think I was feeling a little tired from last week.

Tuesday: 6 miles outside. I want to say my average pace was about 7:38. I know it was something really close to that. And really, I could go look it up. But does it really matter that much? I think not. Good run.

Wednesday: 5 miles in the morning. Felt sluggish, but needed to get it in before we left for an overnight roadtrip. I think it was just a little under 40 minutes.

Thursday: I was bad. I thought about trying to get it done on the hotel treadmill, but the idea of keeping kids happy in a tiny, cramped hotel gym didn't sound very enticing. And the hubby was stuck at the job interview we were there for... so I waited. Then we got home in the afternoon, and the driving plus the pregnancy meant sore and exhausted Hayley. So I did a good stretching workout as prescribed by Coach Adam and let that be my workout (and trust me, it is its own workout... just doesn't give me miles). Oh well.

Friday: So maybe I was punishing myself for missing yesterday... because today, I decided to go with Adam to the nearby National Forest and push the double stroller for my planned 6 miles. Yeah,

65 lbs of kid + 35 lbs of stroller = 100 lbs of loving resistance on wheels (a.k.a. torture).

Then, factor in pregnancy and you've got a whole other equation... but at least that one doesn't weigh anything yet.

Kiddos all loaded up before we started. You see my little man already passed out... awesome.

The run started off pretty slow. I was definitely feeling the stroller. I was slow, my breathing was super loud and labored, and I felt like it was going to be a never-ending 6 miles. This continued for at least the first 2 miles.

As I got into the 3rd mile or so, I started to have moments of feeling better and speeding up a little. (My first mile was in the 8:40's or so). And I have to put this out there: I take breaks when I push strollers. I never take breaks when I run outside on my own, but with the stroller, it feels necessary. It gives me a chance to help/adjust kids, and a chance to breath and regroup, maybe eat a gel burst or something, even if it is only for 30 seconds or so. I always feel better when I restart after a mini break.

By the time I hit my 3 mile turnaround, I was on my 4th break. Like I said, they were short, but sweet... and very helpful.

The next 2 miles felt the best. I knew I was moving (especially since the rolling hills feel like more of a net downhill coming back to the parking lot). But when I looked at my watch, I totally doubted its validity. I just didn't think there was any way I'd ever be moving that fast with the stroller. Under 7:30 pace? Really? Impossible.

I kept moving and took one more break at about 4.75 mile mark, then tried to push it pretty good coming back to the finish. Felt good, and the watch said I finished my 6 miles in 48:54. I still didn't believe it. I've never gone that fast with a stroller, let alone the double. My doubts were so strong, in fact, that I clocked the watch's measurements with the car after we were done. And amazingly, it was right on.

My average pace for the run was about 8:09. I was expecting much slower based on my starting paces, but I guess it just goes to show that you can't count yourself out too early in any run. You just have to give your body that chance to adjust and warm up, and then be willing to push it once you do start feeling better. I love to push it. And I especially love when my body tells me to push it. Love, love, love.

Cooling down on a nature walk we promised to Ellie in exchange for her willingness to ride in the stroller instead of walking on her own like she wanted.