Yes, I look a little crazy in this photo. It’s because I pushed it a bit last night, and I got my best run since I took up running again last September. My pace was, on average, 9:24/mile which beat my very best run by 2 seconds per mile. It doesn’t seem like much, but this is a big deal to me. You see, I was making great progress until I caught a bad flu in November which kept me from running for over two weeks. I lost so much progress over that time, and it’s taken me nearly two months to get back to the 9:20’s. I’ve had two runs in a row now with times under 10 minutes, but to be so close to breaking the 9 minute/mile barrier is really exciting!

Also, my first mile run time was 8:52! If I can keep that pace for all three and a half miles, I’ll be really happy! My running goal is to be a sub-9 minute mile runner consistently. I’m getting there, and it motivates me!

I am also happy because I didn’t get a chance to run on Wednesday as planned due to weather and a dinner with a co-worker. I hate missing runs, so I was happy to get this one in. I will also run on Saturday this week since I don’t run back-to-back for fear of injury or developing shin splints. I may ride my bike on Sunday, though. We’ll see.

All in all, it was a great run. I worked the entire time, pushing myself, but after the second mile, my pace felt very natural, and whenever I felt my legs slow a bit, it was easy to kick it back into gear and pick the pace back up. This is a new sensation for me. I have always hated pushing myself in a run. Now that my body is getting stronger, it is getting easier to push the limits safely and without lasting pain.

As for my push ups, I did 70 in a little over a minute. I could have done more, but again, I’m letting my body gain its strength slowly and organically. I gauge how I feel while I’m doing the push ups, and if I reach a goal and feel I can do more without straining, I do it. Last night’s number was 70. Next time, I may go to 75 or even 80. We’ll see. Either way, I started with 10 back in September. I didn’t push myself for fast gains, and the nice part is that my arms are never sore afterward. Five months later, I’m doing 70 push ups without any pain or soreness. Ever. That’s a huge win to me!

I’m not in any hurry to make fast gains. I have been taking it slowly and allowing my body to strengthen slowly over time, and it’s the absolute best method I’ve experienced in my life in regards to exercise. It takes a lot longer, but my quality of life is so much higher. I can’t recommend it enough!