1-3-2011 - Longest Run to Date!

January 3 was my first day at my new job! They didn't want me to show up until 9:00 am, because that's when their HR people would be ready for me to fill out their paperwork. So I took the opportunity to go running in the morning. I woke up early and put on all the reflective running gear and blinking lights that my beautiful wife got me for Christmas. I had the Xinglet running sash from Amphipod, the Firefly Supernova blinking light from RoadID, the polyester cap with the blinking light on the back, and the reflective straps around my ankles. I did my standard warm up routine and off I went, ready to blind the first driver who was unfortunate enough to shine their headlights on me.

I started with the Supernova light clipped onto the Xinglet, but it was bouncing around too much in the vicinity of my heart rate monitor, and causing false readings (besides being annoying); so I had to move it. I tried moving it higher up on the sash but that didn't work very well; and there wasn't a very good spot to put it on the waist line. So I ended up clipping it to the visor of the cap. I also had the small flashlight that Ben gave to me, which proved helpful in choosing my exact path down the sidewalk and over the curbs.

There was snow on the ground, so I took it a bit easy, especially going around turns. I did a total of 3.36 miles in 37 minutes flat, and my legs felt really good for the rest of the day. My right ankle was a bit sore, but I pinned that down to the tendon for the Anterior Tibialis (the pain was the worst when I walked around on my heels). I also noted that my heart rate stayed below 172, and the run proved rather enjoyable. Even though my average time was 11 minutes per mile, I think running at that rate will increase my longevity in this sport. I am still hoping, though, that my times improve over the next few months.

Another thing I tried was a new pair of socks that my lovely bride gave me. I have been trying different socks over the past few months and decided that I would prefer cotton over polyester. But I keep hearing that cotton is bad because it absorbs sweat and causes blisters. The polyester, however, feels squishy on my feet. So I've been searching. I found the Adidas Sport Performance socks on Amazon and decided to give them a try. I liked them a lot! No squishy feeling - my feet felt warm and dry. They are a mix of Acrylic, Polyester, Natural Latex, Nylon, and Spandex.

3.36 miles in 37:00. Average 11:01 per mile. Weather: 23 degrees with 14 degree wind chill. Clothing: polyester running cap; polyester ear warmer; long sleeve shirt; short sleeve shirt; running jacket; running gloves; shorts; two pair of exercise pants; Adidas Sport Performance socks. Comments: Dressed too warmly. Should have dropped the short sleeve shirt and the shorts. I thought the wind chill would have gotten to me, but it did not.