At Last!

10 miles/2:02:13

FANTASTIC long run yesterday! My average pace of 12:13/mi was ahead of the 13:12 pace on my training schedule, but I just kept a pace that felt good. I really did feel great and didn't struggle with the hills as much, so it was a huge step forward. This week is an easy week, three 5 mile easy runs, which will have plenty of hills and hopefully I can keep a 13:08 pace.

Not going to lie, I was SORE and TIRED today. Naps and extra strength tylenol helped, as well as all you can eat sushi buffet. I am a glutton, it is no secret. Even with the pain today, it still felt good to get a double digit run in and not feel like I was going to die. I am very optimistic about my 12 mile long run at the end of the month. I might just finish this marathon sub 5 hours after all...

A couple of things probably made this run better:

• New shoes. Well, same model, but fresh pair. More shock absorption, it was time for a new pair.
• Hydration Belt. Brought along fuel and had gatorade in one bottle, filled the other with water and refilled both along the way. It is H-O-T even when I leave at 7:15, so I am going through a lot of fluids. 
• Garmin. Beeps at me when I fall below pace and helps me keep track of distance because I ALWAYS take wrong turns and end up somewhere I didn't plan of being. 
• iPod Nano radio. I am sick of my play lists so radio adds some much needed variety.
• Country Roads. Ran a lot on undeveloped country roads, so I didn't have much traffic or pounding of pavement.
• Nice people. Runners in the area keep hoses outside of the gates of their properties so runner can refill. Super important when the only thing around are sprawling horse ranches and gated estates. This kept me from drinking reclaimed water from a sprinkler at mile 6.

and one more little thing.....

• Having a job. I was rehired back at the High School, so I will be doing another year of math, definitely with a better course load (some non-remedial classes!!!!!) and hopefully with a better classroom.

This means moving back up to northern California and finding furniture and a room mate because I sold nearly everything when I moved. This will be quite the daunting task, but I am so thankful to have work in this education-unfriendly economy. I was seriously getting worried, which is probably why my runs were so sucky. Running is a mental sport. If my mind is not in the right place, my body isn't either. People think I exaggerate when I tell them that the marathon is 80% mental, but for me, it is all about if I can get my head in the game.