Running Challenge

I regularly use the Nick GPS+ app on my iphone to track my running.   Love the app.  It was something like $1.99 or $2.99 and well worth the price.

It has a feature called Challenge Me.  I tried it for the first time yesterday and had so-so results.  Part of the issue is me/my security (as forced by my company since the phone has my corporate emails on it) and part was the app.   The challenge I accepted was to run 30 seconds faster mile pace than my previous run.  The good great news is that I accomplished that! I ran 32 seconds faster per mile!  This really is great news because I tend not to push myself enough - and really with some valid justification because at this point I still need to develop the base of miles and increase my distance before I get too concerned with speeds plus I'm still having that Planter Faciitis issue with my right foot.   Going fast the first part but then being forced to walk the rest of the distance would be a failure to me.   So while I'm thrilled I accomplished this challenge, I can't afford to focus on this and make speed my goal... at least not yet, speed is a goal of the running season but I have to get to the point where its appropriate to focus on it.

The downside is the app responded as if I did not reach the goal.  The history clearly shows the distance, pace, total time, and calories burned for each run and you can see I am 32 seconds faster pace between Saturday's and Monday's run.  The app gives statuses as you run along, and a couple of the status messages indicated I had "doing great and only 4 more miles to go!".  4 more miles?  where did that come from? I was challenging myself against the pace of a 1 1/2 run and planning to do the same distance - something was off in that challenge.

And then I have the extra hassle that my phone has a 9 character password with both letters and numbers and it kicks into requiring it again for these runs.  Honestly trying to run and type in the password so you can access the app and finish really, really cuts into your speed and affects your overall pace.   So it's very possible that I not only met the goal but smashed it - but probably not because I had that same password issue with the previous run so Saturday's pace was already affected by that same delay.    The other impact was I had a really hard time getting started on Monday morning and the morning dog walk took extra long so I had to delay the run to later in the day.  I had then adjusted and planned for a noontime run but it was raining then.  So I finally made it out early evening.  You do what you have to do, but I know I run better in the morning!  Even though I do, I need to get used to the evening runs since all the BLS fun runs are at 6:30 pm.

I have 3 weeks remaining to get myself set for that first fun run.  I want to primarily focus on being able to cover the distance comfortably.  I often skip the first hill on that fun run so the distance is a little shorter for my route, and I don't have to be up to speed for the full distance for another five weeks -- plenty of time as long I stay dedicated to my training.