Benchmark 3Mi Run and Return

So nice to finally get back outside for a workout. My performance was dismal but I got that runner's high and it felt great. Nice to be back in the saddle somewhat.

I decided to benchmark my fitness loss. One of the good things about being out of shape is that when you get back into shape you see dramatic changes in fitness over short periods of time. By establishing a benchmark I hope to see this over the next couple months. And boy howdy am I slow. A good two minutes slower on the 3 mi benchmark portion of the run... totaling 27:16. Check out the graph I've attached... now that's some fitness loss. And the slope would be even steeper if I had benchmarked myself prior to Ironman Florida.

Still, the run felt good. I missed being outside running. I did the return 3 miles in 22:14 but paid a hefty heart rate price for it. But I never felt like I was crashing or like my legs couldn't take it. Just that my cardiovascular system was out of shape. This is good news. In the past I've lost muscular strength, core strength and form. I think that in this cycle I've mostly lost cardio. We'll see as I rebuild myself.

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