When John gave me my schedule for this week he told me to feel free to move the days around as needed to accommodate my vacation. This morning I swapped out the scheduled 14 to 16 mile run for the 30 to 40 minute run which was down for Sunday. Our family planned to go out for breakfast today instead of eating in the condo, so I didn’t want to have to either get up super early or make everyone else wait on me to get back. Also, Olivia’s schedule called for a 40-minute run, so it worked out perfect for us to go together again.
We planned to both do a 20-minute out-and-back route along the ocean on Front Beach Road. While it wasn’t as hot in Panama City today as it was back home (new record high of 109 degrees in Nashville!), it again felt pretty toasty with no shade and little breeze. I also think that all this running in concrete sidewalks this week has started to take its toll. I felt terrible on the way out for the first 20 minutes. My legs felt tired and achey, and I just couldn’t find a rhythm.
Once I turned back for the second half my legs started to loosen up and I finally found a good running rhythm. Because of this I ended up getting back to the start a full two minutes before I had completed my planned 40 minutes. Olivia had finished just ahead of me at the condo, so as she waited I ran another minute down Front Beach and then headed back. After 40 minutes I had completed just over 4.7-miles with an average pace of 8:30 per mile.
Even though we technically haven’t been running together I have very much enjoyed starting and finishing with Olivia a couple of times this week. I think that is one of the things that helped with the second half of my run this morning….knowing that if I stopped and took a break she would have to wait on me at the end.
Tomorrow morning we pack up and head home to Tennessee fairly early, so no run on the docket for me. I do still have to get in my 14 to 16 miler sometime either late Saturday or early Sunday before worship. Either way it has to get done.
Beast Mode…ON!