Canned heat in my heels

I've finally found a solution to my motivation issues. I needed to plan for another event. If there is a goal on the horizon, I will have the drive I need to train hard and often, so I am planning on running my first 10k on January 8. My dad and step-mother live in Las Vegas and there is a 10k run at Lake Mead, so I figured I could visit my family and attempt something new, yet again.

I've ran a handful of 10ks on the treadmill this past year, but it's been several months since I've ran more than a 5k in any one session. So, today I stretched and hydrated well and got to training. As previously stated, I'm not a big fan of running, but when I set the pace well and have good tunes in my ears, I can certainly tolerate it. My initial goal today, was simply to see how much I could run in one hour. I managed 5.67 miles but pressed on until I hit six miles, which came at 1:03:.13. Not quite a 10k (6.2 miles), but it was a solid start. I'd love to be able to run the 10k in under an hour, but with only one month to train, that may be an ambitious goal.


The new ice pack Anita gave me. I'm gonna try it out tonight.

After the run, I cooled off with a light jog and drank a half-bottle of water. I followed it with some light weight lifting and calisthenics, but didn't push it too hard in that department. I was already pooped from the run.

Also, Anita came up from the pool deck to visit me while I was running and gave me a new ice pack for my shoulder. She said it's designed specifically for shoulders and she got it for free from her sister's swim shop, because they couldn't get them off the shelves. That was very thoughtful of her, and I'm excited to give it a try tonight. You see a lot of Major League pitchers using this kind of ice pack and I've always been curious about them. My shoulder has still been hurting some, but I can tell that it is getting better since I've stayed out of the water.

Total distance: 6.2 miles running