MTD 2: Jog/walk for 20 minutes

Time: 20 minutes
Speed: Brisk jog, some walking
Length: 1.7 miles

Pace -- 11:45.6

It was a breezy day, and it rained for most of the morning, so I had to be very choosy when picking the time to get out there.

I chose Cottage Hill Park for this workout because it has a slight elevation in its course, which allows for better endurance on Mobile's hilly tracks. Sure, Dublin won't have them, but it's better to stress-test all of your muscle groups -- especially your core, which is essential for keeping your balance on those hills.

Still, for such a light workout, it wasn't  a bad way to start. I even beat my overall pace from Saturday's race (not surprising for such a short distance)! 

I'm beginning to think it will only do some good to do a core workout in the mornings -- my gut's slowing me down, surprise surprise. From now on, you'll get to read about that, too.

I remember in high school, when I had the stamina and endurance of a freakin' ox, I used to run six miles everyday on the treadmill and not think twice about the strain on my muscles it gave me. Which worked fine for me then. Now, I know that, given my lack of straight-thru training and day-to-day running, I've come to a point where my muscles are mere fractions as powerful as they once were, my heart included (maybe a BPM count would be helpful after these runs?). Hence, the day-long rest periods between days is a good idea. If you want your muscle fibers to fully heal after being torn apart (as any do when you strain them enough), it's important to rest for a day between workouts, and to eat foods rich in protein and some carbohydrates.

But given the nature of my core, and the fact that burning that off is one of my highest priorities, I will propose the idea to perform core exercises even on some off days -- not all, but some. Strengthening the core is essential at the early stage, but cross-training and maintaining that form is even harder and more important.

You can read all about it here. I'll probably post the results of my workout on a weekly basis instead of a daily one, as I can't imagine the outcome changing that much.