Sunday, October 19, 2008

This Week's Long Run

This weekend a cold front blew (literally) into the area, bringing colder temperatures and high winds. I woke up this morning in time to hear wind blow the furniture across the bedroom deck. This morning's run was going to be a windy one!

Wind or no wind, I was ready although today is the first day I've had to wear some cooler-weather running gear. With temps in the low 50s (about 25 degrees cooler than a week ago) I wasn't quite sure how my body would react. After the first couple miles, however, I knew today was going to be fast.

I averaged about 8:31 per mile on the first four miles which was actually a little faster than I wanted to go. I have a tendency to start out too fast and lose steam by the 12th or 13th mile. I really sped up on the middle of the run, averaging 8:04 per mile for miles 5 through 12. I slowed down a bit on the 13 through 17, but still maintained an 8:17 pace. Now I've been working on making my last couple miles faster than the rest on my long runs, so I knew today would be a good challenge. Mile 18 was a 7:54, and mile 19 was a surprising 7:35!

The wind was annoying, but gave me a good mental challenge every time I headed into it.

I felt great...until I stopped moving. I could tell, even before I finished stretching, that my hamstrings were going to give me trouble. But now, five hours and a nap later, I feel alright.

Next week: Breaking 20 miles!

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