You know when things just click? your stride is loose, running feels easy, you’re breathing deeply, it’s a gorgeous morning?

Running is NEVER easy for me.

This morning, those two running intervals on the Strand were beautiful.

Mel, bless her heart, didn’t scream or curse at me when I took off at what her Timex GPS/bodylink system said was under a 7:30 pace.

Yes, you read that right.

Now, I do need to qualify this. We’re still doing run:walking intervals, 2:30 run and 2:00 walk.

But I did that pace for 2:30 minutes.

Twice.

It gives me hope that someday I’ll be able to manage say 9:00 min pace for continuously running someday down the road (or, a niggling thought, maybe….even….faster).

Of course, going up the last hill of our 3.3 mile run Mel kicked my ass.

Our overall pace was 5.2 mph, compared to 4.7 two weeks ago. Today’s experience hammered home again that I need a good mile or mile and a half of run/walking at 6:00 a.m. to warm up to the point I feel loose. And maybe there is something to periodization/ incorporating rest weeks.

Other workout notes from last week: four days of drilling in the pool, one good weightlifting session (chest and legs), track run Wednesday night, and biking Sunday with Mel and Mike (short ride, only 11.3 miles, but very hilly).

This morning after our run I walked over to the gym, lifted chest, biceps and triceps (to failure), then did 20-25 minutes of drilling in the pool. I was so excited about my run that I told the guy at the counter as I was signing in to the gym.

I’m planning on getting a fair amount of biking in this week (I only work tomorrow so no excuse about short days), another run Thurs, then a trail 10k Saturday. Gym and pool stuff are loosely planned — I’ll probably go most days.