Running with Better Control

For those of you who have been reading my blog regularly, you probably have heard that when it is cold outside I tend to start out too fast.  I believe I'm trying to get warmed up quicker, or the cold makes me tense up so I run faster, etc.

I'm proud to report that on this morning's run - as well as this past weekend's long run - I ran with much better control at the beginning of the run and my heart rate stayed in the 140s for at least the first mile.  Today's run there was a pretty long uphill for about 1/2 mile after the first mile, so my HR went into the 150s then...but it was for a hill!

It was a nice run - another sub-11 min mile pace 3.4 mile easy run with average HR at 150.  It's a bit hard to believe that these are my recovery runs when this used to be the meat of my running workout!

This past weekend I listened to a bunch of 70s rock, so this morning I threw some 80s pop in my iPod.  George Michael, Billy Joel, Journey, The Police, Bryan Adams and Madonna all had songs played (there were a few other albums that did not have songs play during my run since it was a short run...).  If I keep this progression, I would need to listen to 90s music next, however, I'm afraid I don't have too much from this decade.  Perhaps from the early 90s, but after I graduated from college, I stopped following popular/new music as closely.  We'll see what I can come up with!