2017’s First Five-Mile Run and I’m kept in stride  by the music of Jim Stubblefield
So yesterday was a running morning and things looked pretty good. Except for that morning humidity. At eight o’clock the humidity was still above 90 percent so I decided to wait a little before heading out.
I wanted to up my distance a little so I spent part of the time I spent waiting plotting out a 5 mile run. Even though tim he temperature was fairly low it was pretty sunny, so I decided I wanted to get as much shade in the run as possible.
The only bad part was that there would be a fairly good hill at about the three-mile mark. But that also meant there would be a down hill stretch during the run!
Actually, I almost didn’t run because when I first got up my body hurt all over. The reason was that on Saturday I decided to get beck to doing at least a thirty- minute full workout which I hadn’t done for maybe two weeks. I probably should have eases back into the routine, but with a little yoga before the run My body didn’t feel too bad when I actually did start the run.
The Run
When I did start my run I had no problem keeping my pace slow! I ran the first mile in 10:40 Â and then second in 10:52. The third which was mostly uphill was covered in 11:08 and the mile four’s time was 11:17 and the pace for the final mile was 11:19.
i reached the five-mile mark a little before I was back at my house so I thought ok I’ll just sprint home but as I struggled a little at the start of my sprint I said. – Â “the hell with it I made the five miles. I will live to run another day!” So here are the final results.
The Results
Total Distance 5.07 Â miles Total Time: 56:03 Average Pace: 11:03 (m/m)
Mile Splits Mile 1: 10:40 m/m Mile 2 – 10:52 m/m Mile 3 11:08 m/m Mile 4 11:17. m/m Mile 5 – 11:19 m/m:
Average Heart Rate:140 bpm Max Heart Rate: 142 bpm
Calories Burned: 728 cals.
The Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the run was Guitare Mystique the latest release for guitarist Jim Stubblefield. And it worked really well! One of the things that I like to do is when I start to feel like I’m starting to struggle is I tell myself to go back to the music. And with Jim’s guitar going back to the music was great and very relaxing. But the rhythms also helped me get back in stride.
I read about rhythmic breathing several years ago and it does work! Typically, I just try to match my footfalls to the beat of the music. One, two, three,Four and then my breathing just follows. Here’s how Runner’s World describes rhythmic breathing…I
Inhale for three steps, exhale for two, inhale for three steps, exhale for two. Finally, of course, try out your rhythmic breathing on a run—inhaling for three footstrikes and exhaling for two. A few key points: Inhale and exhale smoothly and continuously through both your nose and mouth at the same time.Mar 6, 2013
I’ll try to write more about Jim Stubblefield later but for now her’s a video for the song “Saint-Tropez from Guitare MystiqueÂ