My endurance measuring stick

I haven't been able to run for the last 2 weeks, because I came down with a wicked cold that took total control of my sinuses and lungs, and i could barely breathe while laying down, so running was totally out.

So today, I had a soccer game, which sounds like a lot of fun, until one realizes that I will have to run for 90 minutes after having taken 2 weeks off. For those who are wondering, yes, we do have subs on our team. And for those then wondering the next obvious question, no, I do not come out. For whatever reason, our team has decided I am good enough that I need to play the entire game, while everyone else on the field subs in and out. I love it, I'd rather play than sit anytime, so this is very cool for me. But I was quite worried, since the most physical thing I've done in the last 2 weeks is having horrific coughing fits in the middle of the night.

Anyway, I played the game, and we ran more than we usually do, because the team we played was really really good. And, surpringly, I felt great. I am not sure how I managed to take 2 weeks off and still feel this good after running for that long and that hard (I had three 3/4 field sprints in the middle of the game, besides all the regular 20 and 30 yard sprints and stuff), but it was awesome. I am so reinvigorated, and excited to start my regular training regimen again Monday.

As the title of this post suggests, I try to use soccer as a measuring stick for my endurance. Yes, if I sat back and ran in the 10-10:30 min/mi range, I could probably run for a really long time. But, I like to see how I do when I'm running at that pace, and then I throw in a bunch of wind sprints. It feels great. Hooray!!!