The weather was beautiful, however and I really enjoyed the course. I loved running along Scenic Highway with the sun rising over Pensacola Bay. Doing the loop around the airport wasn't that fun, but I loved, loved, loved running into Downtown Pensacola and the Historic District. The start/finish was in the historic district along the bay and was very nice. It was fairly flat with only two small hills and I think one was actually a bridge. I was a little delirious by then so who knows!
Somewhere between mile 20 and mile 21 a DJ had one of my favorite spinerval songs blasting. It is sung by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilers and is called "Move like Jagger". When the song comes on in Spinerval class you are required to take turns singing the "Move like Jagger, Move like Jagger" chorus. That song made me pick up the pace to a blazing 9 minute mile speed at least. FYI- 9 minute miles are not really that blazing but it is faster than a 12 minute mile. I think there were some folks on the course that were walking faster than I was running. I was passed by old men with gas and one guy wearing flip flops and a pregnant lady. It was an interesting day! Maybe I will do it again next year.
congrats on the finishing the marathon! who wouldn't love running through downtown p'cola. it's so colorful and historic. i think my aunt did that marathon a few times...she was a runner "back in the way" til she quit because she didn't think it made any difference in her health and looks, plus as a busy nurse she felt something had to give. so she took up eating chocolate instead. (i'm not kidding- those are her words.)
ReplyDeletehonestly, i am amazed that you've been running in marathons and triathlons for so long. it is not so easy to have that kind of focus and discipline.
It hasn't been easy to stay focused for me either. I don't enjoy it as much as I use too but I am to obsessive/compulsive to stop. After Ironman Canada i got burned out from all the training, but wanted to continue to keep the fitness. That is why I went ahead and signed up for the 1/2 IM in Hawaii, an Ironman in Idaho, and Pensacola Marathon. I didn't really train for any of them. I totally backed out of the IM (even I'm not stupid enough to do a full IM without proper training) and the other two were very very slow and very very painful!! (But i finished!)
ReplyDeletemy opinion- if you want it: find another outlet. i keep going back to the yoga thing (i've been a slacker in that department the past couple of weeks, but working on getting myself back into gear). yoga helps with everything! there's that mind-body-spirit connection that you take with you throughout the day. you customize your practice to fit whatever you need to work on. you can even get a great cardio workout if you do certain practices- ashtanga, vinyasa flows...
ReplyDeletei liked the yoga class, but an hour of that kind of focus was tough for me. I liked spinervals better. Yoga is a good balance, but I need more cardio I think.
ReplyDeletewith yoga, it is challenging at first to be present and aware, especially if one is accustomed to a different type of fitness challenge. when i first started yoga, i thought- "ok....that was kind of lame...i don't feel any different. i don't get it." i stuck with it off and on through the years, and finally now have challenged myself to take it further. (i can finally do that real cross-legged pose and some other stuff i haven't been able to do since childhood.) i still consider myself a novice.
ReplyDeletei still like my cardio, don't get me wrong! no one can get me away from that spin bike, no way. i love that. but i can't do without my yoga either.
if you ever give up running marathons, i'd definitely keep cycling since it's less hard on your body. as you know, i can't run. just can't get into it and i suck at it anyway. but spinning, oh yeah! that's my cardio of choice. i like that anaerobic feeling, getting my heart rate up to 180-something, but i'm never sore afterwards. then again, in the 45 spin classes i never get over 20 miles. i guess if i rode longer i'd be sore.
we don't have spinervals here. sounds interesting!
I guess staying aware is my problem. It would be problem for anybody like me that has ADD. I'm working on it! Running would be hard to give up. I love it best.
ReplyDeletei have ADD issues, too. i think it's adult-onset, from too much stimuli, too many options.
ReplyDeletethe more yoga you do, the more it helps with focusing on other things. so they say...
running and other speed-based fitness is more goal-oriented and yoga is more "in the present". western vs. eastern ideology. :)