Twelve Minutes

On Monday evening, I got in another three-mile work-out at the indoor track on campus which is really only a two-minute walk from my apartment - super-advantageous for when I'm walking in shorts and it's only 10 degrees outside.  I took pride in the fact that for the second time in a row, I was able to jog for a full mile without stopping or walking.  I jogged a little more throughout the three miles than I did on Saturday.  And this is all paying off because I beat my pace record and broke the 12-minute mark.  11'57"/mile average! 

It appears that during my mile-long jog, it took about 10-11 minutes.  My brisk walking pace is more like 13:30.  So it should figure that if I can gradually increase my stamina, I could jog for a longer period of time and keep on improving my time.  I'm also thinking about buying some weights to do some strength training at home.  Ever since I quit the gym a couple months ago, strength training went 'poof' and we simply can't have that!  Perhaps this weekend, I'll make a trip to a sporting goods store.  My federal tax return should help with that!

As much as I'm happy about my time last night, my shins are killing me.  I know I might have overdone it, and part of the problem might have been when I did a one-lap sprint.  A friend pointed out that I might be tensing up in my legs which could contribute to shin splints.  Reflecting back, I probably did tense up for that lap (plus there was sharp pain in my shins during that sprint).  But the rest of the jog felt pretty darn good - a little bit of shin pain then, but very tolerable.  Another factor is the track's surface might be a bit tough on the shins.  I might need to rest an extra day to give time to heal first.  A shin fracture from repeated stress without rest time would be bad news bears.

If you'd like to see a visual chart showing my work-out on Monday, have at it.  I love the Nike+ipod that I use for my indoor walks where GPS is not possible.  Here it is: http://go.nike.com/63etido

Oh yeah, and in case you're wondering, there was nothing whack on the track this time around. :-)