The lower your mileage is, the more important it is to round up. I actually ran today! Yea! I started out at a really brisk "race walk," which is the correct term, btw. I was trying to see how fast I could do a mile. I was averaging about 13:00 pace, and MAN did it feel hard. My lungs were burning because I'm still a little sick, but my shins were putting up the biggest complaint. I started thinking how much more comfortable it would be to run, even if I had to keep it at the same pace. So I eased into a really really tentative jog. I pushed the stroller with my two younger ones to a park 1.25 miles away. We played for a while, then I ran home. Ave. pace for the whole thing (not including stops) was 11:55. I am delighted that my knee was not an issue, and I think I actually felt better overall for having run. I know it helped my incessant coughing. That reminds me of my sweet friend Megan.
I have a friend with cystic fibrosis. (The biggest danger--and it is a big one--is getting pneumonia and other lung stuff.) She is over 30 years old and still has really great lung function, and the main way she keeps it under control is by exercising every day. She exercises even when she has pneumonia, because it helps clear out her lungs. I thought about her today on my run. |