Getting back into it

I didn’t exercise for a week and a half because first the kids were sick, then I was sick, and then I had to recover from being sick. I felt weak, I slept a lot, I had zero interest in food. I didn’t even make coffee for days.

Then last Thursday Rob, Nina, and I got together at 6:30am for a 3 mile run. Nina hadn’t exercised much in the past month, because she had a court case for three weeks, followed by an upper body infection. Three miles: easy as pie.

Or not.

It was much harder than I expected. Trying to exercise after a layoff always feels like I’ve never exercised before. And I’ve started feeling tired in the afternoons again — maybe exercise really does give you more energy. Moving my body beyond walking to the car and back felt good, though, really good. And this morning, when the alarm went off to get me out of my morning doze, I popped out of bed and thought, Whoo hoo! I’m going running!

Today we decided to go nuts and do 5 miles. Before the layoff, 6 miles would be our “short” run. But right now 5 miles feels like quite the hike. Rob had us run a few speed intervals in the middle, going at a slightly faster pace than normal for 2 or 3 minutes. We took a short break at the 2.5 mile turnaround, then headed back.

We did 5 miles in 49 minutes, which is actually fabulous news: despite the layoff, we really are getting faster. A 10 minute mile is quite an improvement. When we started running as a group, we were doing something like 13 minute miles (or…possibly…14 minute miles). Rob, since he’s lost so much weight, can go a lot faster, but he’d rather have people to run with, and he gets a fairly good workout with us. Nina, when she’s stronger, can probably do somewhat faster. I am the slowpoke, but I’m working on it.

I just wish it didn’t feel so much like I’m starting over. Rob assures me that it will all come back fast enough (pun intended, because, after all, he’s Rob).