95 Minutes to Nowhere

Getting caught up we are finally up to yesterday, Saturday. I moved up my long run this week by a day because of my schedule for next week. My long run concluding Week 4 was set for 5 miles. With inclement weather outside (35 degrees and rain with potential for icing) I took the workout indoors to the treadmill. In doing so there was no need for GARMIN. I also wanted to go a bit easier on the body with this run, one because I had not gone this long before, and two because the last two runs were outdoors on a lot of concrete sidewalk. Being inside on the treadmill I opted to use my older New Balance 475s instead of the new ASICS. To sum up the treadmill workout, I covered 5.45 miles in 95 minutes, including my cooldown of ten minutes, for an overall pace of 17:25. Going with some information I had read, a slower pace can help the body with energy management, I set the treadmill for 3.5 miles per hour. That is why it took longer to complete the workout. As with my road runs, I felt the tiredness in the begining 2-2.5 miles and then I was off to the races. A luxury of the treadmill is a place to hold a beverage. I took two bottles of Propel with me. I drank one and took a few sips of the second by the end of the workout. Half way through the run at 45 minutes I also tried for the first time a packet of Gu. According to the treadmill I had burned off almost 450 calories at that point, so replenishing 100 calories in the packet of Gu I figured would not be a bad thing. I tried the Banana-Strawberry. To sum it up, it was interesting. I do feel the Gu served its purpose however. Another luxury for me of going on the treadmill was being able to use my iPod. I do not use my iPod when I am out on the roadways, but in the fitness room, facing the door, I will listen to a mix of music I assembled for working out.

Aside from the runnings of this week, I have been reading a chapter a night from The Courage to Start. I also have been enjoying the daily quotes I have been receiving from Runner's World in my email I had signed up for on their website. Tomorrow is the start of a new week, Week 5. By week's end my mileage total will be up to 13. Tomorrow I have a short run in the plans for a total of 2 miles, with a five miler on Wednesday and a six miler on Friday. I do hope to get in a day of cross training, preferably on Sunday, doing the eliptical. I also hope to get a couple days of doing some upper body weights in. Any suggestions or comments are greatly appreciated.