In the pool, I can always tell when my body clicks into gear and I go from getting back into shape to actually working out. It's a bit of a euphoric feeling, not quite a high, but enough to keep the motivation high. Every pull feels stronger than the previous and your speed increases without much additional effort. It usually happens in the middle of a harder set, after a series of consistent efforts across several days.
I'm happy to say that my run clicked last night. Finally, in my second year of running, I feel like I broke through. I ran 4.89 miles in 0:40:40, for an 8:19 pace. That's all you say? I agree, that's not fast by a wide margin, and I've run faster for about the same distance but for a simple Tuesday run it's outstanding. I've talked about breaking through before, but here's the real reason it was so good: my average heartrate for the entire run was 145. I can honestly say that I've never run that far as fast with as little effort.
I can point to a couple of reasons why this occurred. First, it was a cool night: 50°F and overcast. Although it was a touch windy, these are perfect running conditions. Second, I just finished a sprint race Sunday. Just as in swimming, the workout following a hard effort kicks the body into a higher gear. I've realized that my running fitness has gotten better, but it's been a long, slow process. I can only hope this type of fitness holds for another week and a half, where I hope to go 1:45 (ave. 8 min/mi) in the Chicago Half Marathon.
