2 Year Runniversary and MAF Test

Guess what!?! Well besides chicken butt, it is my 2 year runniversary! Honestly, it seems like I have been running forever. I have learned so much over the past two years, not just about running in general, but how my body reacts to specific training. I’ve gotten PRs in every even since my last runniversary and I ran a 10 miles race and a half marathon. I still don’t think I’m ready for the big kahuna (full marathon) yet, but soon.  Last year I did a reflection on what I had learned in my first year as a runner, I think 

I will share some similar thoughts of a 2^nd year runner:

1. I mentioned last year about slowing down. I have learned to advocate it even more. My advice to anyone would be to SLOW DOWN, run your easy runs easy, and your hard runs hard. The only time you need to race anything, is during the race
2. Not reaching your weekly mile quota isn’t the end of the world. I used to think I had to reach that magic number for the week, but I’ve learned, my body doesn’t seem to notice if I missed a mile or 2 throughout the weeks, as long as I am consistent.
3. I don’t need to sign up for every local race. This is something new I’ve learned. In the past I have signed up for so many races throughout the year, I was never really training, just running races. This lead to burnout and injury quick.

As I also did last year, I mentioned my improvements in race times during the year here we go again:

5k PR was 25:41 ---> currently it’s 23:46

8kPR was 43:19, now it’s 40:44

10PR was 54:38, now it’s 53:03

As I mentioned previously, I am doing MAF training. On Monday, I ran my 3^rdMAF test.

Mile	12/23/2014	1/12/2015	2/3/2015
1	13:34	12:26	11:58
2	13:53	12:45	12:10
3	13:42	12:47	12:13
4	13:54	13:04	12:22
0.2	2:48	2:49	2:44
Avg Pace	13:47	12:45	12:12
Total Time	57:29	53:46	51:28
HR Avg	149	148	148
HR Max	152	151	151

Yay, I’m still seeing improvement. Besides the pace decreasing, I have noticed a difference in my resting heart rate (RHR). Prior to starting, my RHR was 64, and although I haven’t’ taken my heart rate as soon as I wake up. I have taken it while I have been sitting for a while, and now it averages to be 57bpm. I even went to a health fair where I had my pulse checked, and the nurse asked me if I was an athlete, I just looked at her questioningly, and she said that I had the heart rate of an athlete (it was 56 at the time). I don’t know why, but that made me feel kind of proud, like I have actually accomplished something J.