Running Rad

Lately, I've consistently been getting out for a run 3 or 4 times a week (yay me!), unfortunately, I have not been walking back into my house with positive results. My stamina has been less than impressive, and frustratingly not improving with time and practice like it should. Then just this past week, my shins started giving me issues by being extremely uncomfortable and tight. I iced them after the second day it happened hoping to help the unknown problem before our Color Me Rad 5k in Ft Worth on Saturday, worrying that I was going to hold everyone back. 

 

We got to the race and it was like I'd never had any problems at all! The 5k trail was flat while my neighborhood is slightly hilly, and we ran an 11ish pace which are my only guesses as to why there's such a dramatic difference in results. But practice makes perfect so my goal is to get this West Texas, zero elevation runner able to tackle the new terrain. 

 

I ran Monday evening and did just under 2 miles, my shins still hurt but not quite as bad as they did all last week. I like to take Chester with me so that he can burn some of that energy he stores up from us being gone all day, but his habit of investigating every bark he hears within a 2 block radius really skews my pace. I prefer a 9:30ish pace, but he usually drags me around the neighborhood and we end up doing more of an 8:30ish pace. My running mentor and favorite little Sister-in-Law, Elizabeth, suggested maybe Chester pulls me in a way that could putting a funky strain on my muscles. I hate to not take him with me but he enjoys running with Tyler better anyways because they have the same energy level. 

We'll see how the rest of this week goes and I'll try to get an update posted if anything changes. Until then, here are some pictures from the run. Enjoy! :) 

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Before...

...and after!