So it seems I am enjoying myself while running. So much so that when Friday afternoon hit and I was supposed to go out for my next training session, but couldn't due to weather and timing, I was itching to get out on Saturday, even if it meant back to back runs (which I'm not supposed to be doing yet)

Saturdays run was quite chilly. It was still bearable, but definitely colder than I think I had run in before. It was the beginning of my single day runs. No more 3 day sets of the same run schedule. This bringing me that much closer to a 30 minute run.

I got out for my run and once I got through the warm up and could finally get some heat into me, I was feeling pretty good. A 5-4-5-4 set took me just a little over 2.5km to complete, which to me, seems pretty good, considering that's 18 minutes worth of running. (ok, so there is also about 11 minutes of walking in there, including my 5 minute warm up, but I can still be happy, right?) I went through the run and I don't think I ever felt winded or exhausted once my segment ended. I am assuming that means I am building stamina.. Or it means I run like molasses and need to pick it up more.

But it doesn't matter. I ran 18 minutes worth. That is huge to me considering 4 weeks ago I was having trouble with 1 minute.

My second run this morning was with my partner. Seems Sunday's are the day we can run together, and both of us look forward to it. If you had told me a month ago that my Sunday mornings would be spent running and enjoying it, I would have died laughing. Now it seems I crossed that imaginary boundary into "Runners" territory.. where Sunday mornings become run mornings.

This mornings run was a 6-4-6 run and we did it in my partners community. Her loop is shorter than mine, but it has a long section of uphill running, something that is definitely taking a lot out of me. When began our first segment and chatted along. Somehow we both missed the end of the run and start of our lonely one minute walk. So a 6... became a 7.

Uphill we climbed and I could definitely feel the strain in the 4 minute run. I guess uphill is something I will have to work on over the next few weeks. but I was pretty proud. I didn't stop. I slowed my pace down a bit so I could make it through, and it worked. I was certainly ready for that single minute break and I earned it when it finally hit!

The last 6 minutes was a bit of a haze. Somewhere along the way my program paused itself and we had no idea how long we actually ran for. We assume we passed the 6 minute mark and maybe went an additional minute or so. Either way, we are both spent at the end. My partner pushed me in the last minute or so, picking up my pace and making me go faster for the finish. As good as it felt to stop, part of me wanted to go just one step further... just one more step.

So I guess that means I am hooked, right?