TEN!

This weeks long run was 10 miles. I got up around 7, it was really nice out - low humidity, breezy and a decent temp. I ran a new route today, and it went really well. 10 miles in 1 hr, 52 minutes, 42 seconds.

This is good for various reasons. First, I completed the run and didn't want to die. That's always a huge plus. Second, last year after the plantar faciitis bout, my first long training run was 10 miles. I ran it with one of the running clubs in the area, and it was ugly. The first 5 were okay, but I basically walked the last half. And, that same day, I was going for bridesmaid dresses for my sisters wedding. I had to come home, shower, drop B off at a friends and head out. I wanted to die. I was tired and everything hurt - my knees, my feet and my legs.

Fast forward a month or so later. I'm running longer training runs and feeling good. This is progress.

During the run today, my route had 1 traffic light. My old route has alot more, which gives me more chances to stop. Today, my goal was to run 2 miles, stop for a few, and keep going. That's pretty much how it went. I stopped at a gas station at mile 5.33 for Gu and took a longer break there. The last 2 miles were hard - it was windy and partially uphill, but I stayed at a consistent pace throughout the run and was happy with the results.

I iced my knees when I got home, but I feel really good. The other good news is my pace. I'm a firm believer of not getting caught up in the numbers. Today's pace was 11:16ish. Last year, my long runs were 13:00 and over. I still won't get caught up in the numbers game, but my 11:16ish pace today blows away my long run pace last year, and that sign of progress makes me very happy.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!