I squeezed in a recovery run this morning between sunrise and getting the twins to cheer practice at 7 a.m. I logged 3.43 miles in 32 minutes (9:22 pace). The first mile was a 9:47, and I gradually worked it down closer to 9:00. Running that slow comfortably is a skill of its own, and one I’ve only recently added to my arsenal.
Recovery runs aren’t exactly thrilling, but I’ll give myself credit for staying consistent without overdoing it. I don’t necessarily feel fitter than I have in recent weeks, but I do feel more durable. Aside from a stiff left Achilles (which doesn’t bother me much once I’m running), my legs feel solid—not even tired. It seems I’ve adapted to the 25–30 MPW range and may be ready to bump up the distance. In fact, I already have: in August I averaged 4.88 miles per run (24 runs total), and so far in September I’m averaging 5.24 miles (21 runs). A small but steady increase, which is exactly what I’m aiming for.
Part of me is itching to test myself with a harder effort just to see where I stand. But I’m also wary of falling into old traps—pushing too much, too soon, and winding up injured or burned out. The only real frustration right now is Garmin has me stuck in the “Maintaining” zone after nine months of building fitness. Nothing wrong with maintaining, but I’d like to think I still have plenty of gains ahead. Hopefully once my HRV bounces back from recent international travel, “Maintaining” will flip back to “Productive.” With some proper rest this weekend, maybe that will finally happen.
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