Three is a magic number...

With my knee feeling better yesterday I went for my noontime run. I was a little apprehensive as I did my stretches, thinking I might get a quarter mile or so only to have the pain return 10 fold. But that never happened. With the wonderfully fall-like temps we're having, I've been able to gradually increase my mileage. Yesterday was no exception. I hit the three-mile mark. I haven't run three miles since I quit training for Mt. Rainier.

Once I had gone three quarters of a mile, I knew I could at least pull off the first lap. As I started up the hills on the second lap, I was a little surprised to discover I still felt pretty good. Finishing up my second lap (2.5 miles), I decided to go for an extra quarter mile. Still feeling good, I decided to continue back to the track start for 3 miles. It was a great feeling. Soon (I hope) I should be able to do a 5K run if I want. That would be pretty nice.

The park I run in during my lunch is 1.25 miles long. It's also one of the more hilly areas of this part of the metro area, with lots of little hills and valleys.

Today I brought one of my backpacks to work with me and stuffed it full of packing peanuts and four 5-pound bags of rice. I wore this while dragging my tire. I could only make one lap around the park this way. Eventually I will be dragging a tire loaded with an additional 20 pounds while wearing a 50-pound pack. Sounds like some kind of torture, doesn't it? Additionally, I plan to be able to make 2 laps (or 2.5 miles) in about 40 minutes while wearing these modern torture devices.