Breathing Underwater

I went out to the High School today and hit the track. It was 10:00am, 67.4 degrees and 85% humid.

I warmed up on the newly refurbished and freshly painted track and away I went. It didn't take long to notice several differences between my treadmill and this track:

• I go 'further' faster on a real track. My treadmill odometer is WAY off.
• My knees, ankles and hip flexors PREFER the outdoor track. I felt like I was floating.
• I can't breathe underwater.

Yup. My legs felt strong and I made half a mile in 5 minutes 43 seconds. It was a slow painful crawl because I COULD NOT BREATHE. I was not prepared for that at all and had to quit at the half mile mark feeling totally discouraged and absolutely out of breath.

Then I went home and hopped on the treadmill. Yup. Legs hate the treadmill. I am making more movements per minute on it, and making more rapid movements on it, and yet it says I am going less distance per minute?!?

1/2 mile on the track (easy on the legs but couldn't breathe): 5 minutes 41 seconds

1/2 mile on the treadmill (more leg movement/faster striding): 7 minutes 19 seconds

Looks like I am going to have to hit the track more often because that 5K is outdoors and just 13 weeks and six days away. Just need to hit it much later in the day as our humidity burns off.