Long Run Sunday

So, I still don't have a functioning heart rate monitor. Because I've been too lazy to pack mine up and pre-pay to send it back to Polar to fix it. If they weren't, like, $50, I'd just go out and buy another one.

I've been training for this 10k, and the weekly mileage is not very high. After all, 10k is not very far. So I had been thinking that I'd try to run my shorter runs at a fast pace. Not just a faster pace, a fast pace (for me). I'd still keep my Sunday long run slow. Since I only have to do two or three miles at this fast pace, it hasn't been much of a problem, except that it's proportionally more difficult since I'm doing them on the treadmill instead of outside.

Except that I went back to the CoolRunning forums, and was reminded of two things. One is the whole low heart rate for aerobic base building thing. The other is that the best way to prepare for a race is to get the mileage in, not necessarily to to run particularly hard. I'm still too much of a beginner to be worried about speed. Plus, you know, it's the very beginning of the season.

So I really need to get that heart rate monitor thing taken care of. I'm particularly curious to know what my numbers look like after a few months of taking it easy.

My four miles on Sunday were cold, but pleasant. I do really miss the variety of route options I had at my doorstep at my last place. And it ain't warm enough yet to ride my bike to a better starting point. I'm gonna have to do some adjusting of my schedule while I'm in Mexico. Maybe shift next week's long run up to Saturday before I leave. Then I've got to get a few days in while I'm down there. I'll take my gear with me and see what presents itself. I'm sure I'll be dying in the heat.