10 mile throwback to high school!

I had an awesome run Saturday. It was amazing. I decided that since I had a hair appointment at 7:45 in Marietta on Saturday morning that I would run up there. I figured the best place to run was my old stomping ground where we use to run in high school.

Cheatham Hill - oh, how I've missed you. It was so good to be reunited. Everything was pretty much the same as it was ten years ago (ahhhh, i can't believe it has been ten years!!). I used the same trail that we ran during practice- the six mile loop. Then I did the "small loop" for another three miles. Then out and back to the main road (our usual warm up run during cross country) and there was my ten miles!

I could barely find a place to park because so many people were out enjoying the awesome weather. When I started my run around 10:45 or so it was about 58 degrees. Amazing January weather! After finding some parking I crossed this little road below and headed out into the woods :)

Ahhhhhh. The woods. It is so quiet there. Even with all of the people out and about, I just felt like my mind was being refreshed and rejuvenated. It's one of my favorite things. I had to remind myself to keep it slow. I always have a tendency to want to run fast when I first get out there. It's just the excitement I'm sure. I told myself to calm down and relax - this was a marathon, not a sprint. Keep it slow and steady.

The trail was wonderful, but I quickly realized that it was definitely time for new shoes. I could feel it on this trail with all the little rocks here and there and pine cones. I just kept pushing along.

As I ran I was reminded of old high school times on these trails.  I remembered running this very same 6 mile loop and feeling like it was so hard and so far. Now I was doing it as just a part of my long run. Funny. I spent three years on the cross country team and I have so many great memories. It's funny how I remembered some parts of this trail so well. I'd think to myself, "a hill is coming up here" or "I think there is a bridge around the corner." I had a good time just getting lost in my thoughts and it helped to pass the time.

It was funny at one point I thought, "I'm kinda bored." I laughed and thought that if I was bored now, I better get ready for those 26 miles. Although I think it will be different with all the runner, spectators and bands!

The miles quickly dwindled away and I was keeping a good 9:30-9:45 pace throughout. Trails often have short, but steep hills. Somehow I always forget about these until they appear out of no where. The hills made a difference in my pace sometimes, but it seemed to even out in the end.

After mile 6 it was time to do my 3 mile loop, part of which was on the course that I had already run. More and more people were showing up and so I had a little bit of maneuvering to do. And somehow I'd forgotten about the horses on the trail- yes, there are horses occasionally. We wouldn't run into them during cross country very often because we ran during the week, but on a weekend you'll be sure to find at least one. At one point I was just running along and saw this guy on a horse in front of me. The trail is not very wide, so I was wondering how I was going to get around the horse and not spook him. Can we talk about how big horses are? It is kinda frightening when you are standing next to them. I tried to shuffle my feet and make some noise, so that they knew I was coming. The horse looked back and so did the rider. When it was time to pass I just ran as far wide as I could around them and I ran as fast I could. I was totally scared that the horse was going to go crazy and buck or something. Maybe an unfounded fear, but it was a little freaky! The other thing about the horses that I had somehow forgotten was the POOP. Nasty. It wasn't everywhere, but there was enough to make you bob and weave at times. ha! It kept me paying attention!

Before I knew it I was about done with my 3 mile loop when I saw the hill. Oh the hill - how could I have forgotten you? This is where we frequently did hill work outs. Up and down and up and down. It was brutal. And there was this same hill staring at me at mile 9. Clearly, I had not thought this through. I powered up the thing as hard as I could, but towards the end I was breathing so hard and my legs were screaming at me. Once I was at the top I got that awful sick to your stomach feeling - that feeling when you really push yourself hard. I was so glad to get to the top and grasp for air. My stomach quickly recovered once I was on flat surface and off I went to get that last mile in.

The last mile was on the road you have to drive down to get the trails. Out and back is a mile. Here you can see the road I ran down and also if you look hard you can see the trail in the background near the people. This part of the trail is very open with no real shade which can be ridiculous in the summer, but proved quite nice today. Most of trail however is more wooded with lots of trees.

I pumped up my music and powered through that last mile - finishing it in 8:50 and proving to myself that I had more left to give (even if my knees were starting to get achy). I was ready to be done and before I knew it I was!

A time that Hal would be proud of once again.

Thumbs up because I'm done and finished smiling!

10 miles - DONE! (i know, i'm a dork!)

Next week's long run is a scale back week, so I only have to run 7! Hooray! I am sure my knees will be thanking me :)

                                                                 

10 miles!!

Me after 10 miles of running the trails in Marietta on Saturday. 

Great post all about my 10 miler to come tomorrow!!

5 miles on weekday!

I'm not waving - that's a "Five" for five miles on a weekday. 

I was a little annoyed, I must confess, when I saw that Hal's training plan started calling for 5 miles on weekdays. Nasty. I don't have 50 minutes to commit to the treadmill. Is that sad? All I want to do after a long day of work is go home and hang with David. I don't want to spend an hour at the gym. I hate sacrificing spending time with David so that I can train, but he has been so supportive and awesome about it. I can rarely get home to help with dinner, so most days he is in charge of our meals. He has been so good about everything and never complains. I'm a lucky girl!

So off to the gym I went. I wasn't excited. I jumped on the treadmill and after a mile thought, "ughh...4 more", but before I knew it I was past my typical 3 or 4 and getting closer to 5. I pushed through and I was finished and feeling so accomplished! I really had a great run and was liking the fact these 5 mile runs push me a little harder than I am use to on weekdays.

There is something awesome going on in that picture above. The stick is in the background (which I already raved about in an earlier post- go buy one today!) and my race board is behind me. This thing is great and it is such a motivator.

I am excited to add to this race board with new numbers. I'm planning on running the ING (now Publix) half marathon in March, but need to sign up for another race before then if I can. I have to give a shout out to my medals:

ING Half Marathon 2010

US 10k Classic Medal - top finisher. This was my FAVORITE race and still is.

My first half marathon - The 13.1 Marathon, October  2009

Continuing to run races while training is important. It keeps you race ready. I can't wait to run a few before the Marathon in April and pin more numbers to this board!!

New shoes!

Bring on the new shoes!! After my long run on Saturday I realized it was time for some new shoes. And look what I got today:

Yes!! And guess how much I got these beauties for? 59 bucks! WHAT? And this is the Pegasus 27, the brand new version of my shoe. Supposedly, they are new and improved. They are running for 90 dollars right now at most stores, but I just happened upon this amazing deal yesterday and snatched up the last pair they had. Now they are selling them today (with additional colors added - mine are Carolina blue - dad would be proud) at 89 dollars.
Here is a close up shot:

With that 30 dollar savings I am hoping that they work perfect! Can't wait to try these out when they arrive! What is your favorite running shoe?

A COLD 8 miles

Yesterday called for an 8 mile run. I actually realized yesterday that I was a week early in my training plan. Somehow I started a week too soon. I was probably just eager to start up and didn't notice. The good news is that I was supposed to run 10 according to my calendar, but once I realized that I was off with my week count, I really only needed to run 8. Nice!

I had a hard time getting motivated -especially when I saw the temps outside. 35 feels like 28. Nasty. I know this wouldn't be too terrible for people who run up north, but for this southern girl who only owns 1 pair of running pants, it was tough. I am usually determined to wear shorts unless it is just too terribly cold. Usually in the 30s I can stand it. I waited till around 12:30 to run since it was getting progressively warmer. When I headed out it was 38 feels like 32 or something like that. Gross.

When I first started I wore my shorts and a long sleeve tech tee over a short sleeve tech. Once I got out on the road I quickly realized that was NOT going to work. I had to turn around and go back and grab three things: a warmer long sleeve tee, gloves, and my wrap around ear warmer. My biggest complaint about this thing is that it is so bulky that I can barely wear my hat or visor:

Not the most attractive thing, but it does the trick. The deal is that last winter I did almost all of my running inside on the treadmill - even my long runs. This winter I have the forerunner, so I am always dying to go outside and use it when I can. The lack of running experience in the cold means that I have almost no cold weather running clothes. Seriously, it is kind of sad. I really need to get some good solid pieces of winter running gear - any suggestions? It was pretty hilarious running in gloves. This was the first time I have run in gloves and I kept hitting the wrong button my ipod because of it. What a cold weather newbie.

And another thing about running in the cold - sorry, this is kind of gross, but my nose runs. Like all the time. It is so weird. Does anyone else have this problem? It eventually gets better, but especially at first, I am so snotty and gross - but only in this cold weather. I don't know what it is...

Anyhow, after I revamped my outfit with a heavier tee that I could later toss if I needed (and come back for- don't worry, I don't litter!) and some gloves, I was off. I couldn't believe how cold it was. When I was running through the snow last weekend it was warmer. The wind was brutal, but the more I ran, the warmer I got. I was headed to Murphey Candler park - one of my favorite long run spots. Once I got there I tossed my long sleeve-sweatshirt-thing (not an official running gear by any means) behind a tree, along with my gloves and headed out for the trail:

Ahhhhhh the woods...there is just something about trial running. I love it. It reminds me of cross country in high school. The smell of the woods take me back. And the time flies so much faster with the beautiful scenery. The trails are such a relief from the pounding pavement on your knees. It takes a little more effort to run in the "dirt" since you occasionally slip in the pinestraw or have to hop over tree stumps, but it keeps you on your toes. Plus I love the short uphill bursts every now and then.

I love the "lake" here, but the wind yesterday was just whipping off the water. After I dropped my sweatshirt I was pretty cold in the shade, but I finally warmed up again. Everyone I passed was dressed in pants and longs sleeves and there I was with my shorts. HA! Two laps around and I was about 6 miles in, so I knew it was time to head back to the house. I was sad to say goodbye to the woods and return to the pavement and cars whooshing by. Hello Atlanta. I headed back up Ashford Dunwoody and went through Backburn Park on my way home. It is a "trail" of sorts, but it's paved, so it is not the same. I like the fact that part of it is in the "woods", but most of the time is spent running past tennis courts or soccer fields. At least it changes up the scenery.

I was getting tired, but I had stretched before my run (could have stretched a little longer), so my hip flexor was not bothering me at all. I felt my knees a little sore on that last mile, but nothing like last week. I was happy with that progress. My body felt good otherwise. Not really out of breath and making pretty good time. One big hill later in my neighborhood and I hit the 8 mile mark! I was finished and feeling great! 8 miles down!

This picture makes me laugh because my head looks huge with that headband ear warmer and visor. Hey, it worked! My ears stayed warmed the whole time! Mom brought me a real ear warmer that only wraps around the back of your head and covers your ears as seen here:

I am excited to use this thing on my next run since it won't interfere with my visor or hat that I am wearing. Back to the run...

My stats were 8 miles in 1:18:59, which is an average 9:50 pace.

 That is perfect for a long run. Nice and easy like Hal suggests.

Once I was through with the run it was time for the stick:

 What is the stick? Oh geeze, it it is awesome. If you are a distance runner you need this thing.

The Stick provides the following benefits: (from the website)
Prevent & Predict Muscle Injuries
Dramatically improve strength, flexibility and endurance
Rapidly prepare muscles for physical activity
Disperse the effects of lactic acid following activity
Accelerate muscle recovery and recovery time
And best of all:

Reduces Muscle Soreness, Stiffness & Pain

YES! Ok, I don't know about "dramatically improve strength and flexibility," but it definitely disperses lactic acid and accelerates muscle recovery. It's like a mini massage and it is so easy to use. Although, I will admit that it feels even better if someone will roll it for you :) The stick is used at Olympic Training Centers and even by the Mayo Clinic. It is hard to explain, but the Stick is a non-motorized device. It is composed of a semi-rigid core around which independent, 1 inch spindles freely spin over the muscles. You can use it on your neck, back, arms, everywhere really, but for runners - it is all about the legs!! My favorite is using it on my hamstring (above) and my calves (below). It is kind of hard to see in this pic, but you just hold the stick by the end handles and move it up and down while the spindles roll over your muscles. LOVELY :) Even better is when I do this after a hot shower.

I never know what to do first - eat, shower, or stick? After my 8 miles I was tired, but not exhausted. I took off my shoes to find a big blister on my left toe :( and I noticed it was time for new shoes. I have these nike pegasus since last year about this time. With the amount of running I do, their time is about expired, so I will have to investigate some new ones. I like the pegasus though, so I may either just get these very same ones (if I can find them) or get the new version.

After running, David and I went to the grocery store and pulled some recipes from our new southern living. We got all the ingredients for two fun dinners - Enchilada Stack and Veggie Lasagna. We made the enchilada stack tonight and WHEW - it was awesome!! I also made homemade guac for the first time ever and it was delish! I had to take a pic of dinner because it was so yum. Enchilada stack topped with fresh sliced tomatoes, cilantro, green onions and avocado. A few multi-grain chips and homemade guac on the side!!

 

Happy Saturday!

Recovery Long Run

Well, it has been two weeks since I have done a long run, so I was nervous. I have been feeling so down about the fact that I have been off and on with my training plan because of my sickness and then the snow. Last night I went to dinner with friends and instead of carbing it up like I know I should before a long run, I had a salad. And then I had a margarita. I had kinda made up my mind at dinner that I was just going to do my long run on Sunday instead. After dinner we went to Cafe Intermezzo and I started thinking that in case I decided to run tomorrow that I should start drinking lots of water and I did.

This morning I woke up and immediately regretted wanting to move my run back to Sunday. I knew we had church Sunday and I also may need to do some work, so I knew there wouldn't be much time for running. Today was definitely a better day in terms of timing. However, I knew I hadn't really fueled properly last night, so I was worried. I spent most of the morning lounging in the house ate some oatmeal, baked some muffins and pondered whether I should run. Another factor was the weather. It was sunny and 40, so definitely easy running weather, but I also knew that although a lot of the ice had melted, there was still a lot of ice left on the roads. I walked outside in my PJs and realized the sun and warm(er) temps were quickly melting much of the ice, so that I could probably run outside if I wanted.

I got on itunes and downloaded so more music with my itunes gift card I got for Christmas. I got dressed and thought about a route in my head. Hal's plan called for 9 this week, but I had already told myself that I would shoot for 8 instead and that I wouldn't push myself. I said that if I felt I was exhausted and hurt that I would stop and cut my run short.

I headed out and had no real idea how the run was going to go or whether I would be running 5 miles or 6 miles or 8. I figured I'd just take it easy and see how I felt. Once I headed out I quickly noticed the sidewalks that looked like this:

Yikes. I knew that I would have to stick to running in the roads for the most part - at least through the neighborhood until I could get to the main roads. Luckily there weren't too many people driving through the neighborhood, so I navigated my way pretty easily on the roads. There was usually always a solid path where I could run with no ice. At times I had to get creative. Some parts of the roads had been in the shade for the most part and were still pretty icy.

I made my way around and before I knew it I had knocked out 3 miles and I was feeling really good. I figured I could at least do 6 and I planned my route accordingly. I ran over to my favorite place - murphey candler park. Once I got to the pond I saw that it was completely frozen over still. Everything was so beautiful and quite. I wish I had my camera! I attempted to run on the trails there, but most of the ground was still covered in slushy snow or was soaking wet/muddy from the recently melted snow. The park also has a ballpark there with a water fountain. I had tried the water fountain at blackburn park with no luck. Pipes frozen? So I was hoping that this fountain would be working. To my surprise the water came on! It made me feel better knowing that I could get some water and stay hydrated.

On my way back I decided to take Hart's Mill road which had the most ridiculous hill ever. I have to take a pic of this thing. It is insane. I have run it so many times, but not like this. I had been on the main roads so much that I had kind of forgotten about the ice. I had heard that Hart's Mill was pretty treacherous during the snow storm - mostly because that hill which was covered in ice. I didn't realize how bad the road was until I started venturing up the hill. The sidewalks were covered in ice and I was forced to either run on the ice/snow and pray that I wouldn't fall or run in the road. But this is a somewhat busy road, so I had to go back and forth between icy sidewalks and the road when there were no cars.

The hill was also a stupid idea considering I was supposed to be taking it easy, but I hadn't really thought that through (obviously)! I was trying to take the fastest route back to my house because I knew that I was getting close to the end of my mileage. I figured by the time I made it to my house I'd have run 7 miles and I could decide from there whether I wanted to go any further. After a frustrating mile of running through the snow (how do people in the north do this?!?!), I finally made it back to my street which is about the time I started to feel my knees and hip flexor bothering me. My knees had been a little sore after the climb up the hill. I figured it was mostly due to the fact that I hadn't run very much in the last two weeks, so my body wasn't really prepared. My hip flexor is another issue. I had problems with it during my first half. I figured out that if I just stretch it really well before I run that it won't flare up. I didn't have any problems with it during my second half marathon.

As I approached my house, I was at 7 and my knees were not very happy, but I figured I only had another mile. I knew a nearby half mile loop, so I would reassess after a half mile. About .25 in,  I knew that that I was not going to push it to 8 miles. A girl was running about 15 feet in front of me at the same speed. We ran together for most of the loop. As I approached the last hill my knees were screaming. I knew I was done. She looked behind me and smiled and said, "it's good to be able to get back outside and run." I managed to say something like, "yeah it sure is" and then I stopped at the top of the hill for a BIG stretch. Ahhhh. I felt better instantly, but I also knew it was a little late and that my muscles were done for the day. When I got back to the house I was glad to be done.

  and I did some more serious stretching:

This is my awesome hip flexor stretch. Not the best angle or picture, but you get the idea. You can't really tell, but I am bending my left knee - kinda in a sitting position. My right hip is the one that bothers me, so this stretch allows it to open up.

After stretching I used "the stick" seen here - http://www.thestick.com/index.cfm This thing is AMAZING, but it deserves its own post, so more about that another day.

I am just very happy that I got through a long run and that I felt pretty good overall. It was really just my legs that were tired at the end since my mileage has been so low these past weeks.

Things I learned/or was reminded of today: 
1) STRETCH before a long run. Always. Period.
2) Wear thicker socks on a long run. These thin Nike running socks are only good for short runs. After awhile they just start to rub my feet raw.
3) Hydrate the night before and during the run. It always makes for a better running experience.

Overall - good solid run. I kept a good pace that Hal would approve of:

Thank you LA Fitness!

The gym was closed AGAIN on Thursday. I was so mad I wrote the Y a letter and I am not a letter writer, but I couldn't help it! I was so frustrated and started thinking of friends with an apartment gym nearby where I could workout. Sadly the parking lot at work looked like this:

so I was limited in where I could go. The roads where still somewhat icy, so I didn't want to be driving all of over town. Most of my friends are now in houses, so I couldn't think of anyone to call that was nearby. I started racking my brain and thought about the LA Fitness near my office. They have a guest pass online. Genius! I called to make sure they were open (yep, they'd been open since Tuesday!) and I heaed over there after work. After about a 5 minute speech trying to get me to sign up for a membership, they gave me the guest pass and I was on my way.

I was so excited to run again!! Yes! But what was with these treadmills? I quickly realized that my Y had much better equipment. All of these cardio machines looked like the sames ones I used in college at Ramsey. Oh well, I didn't care. I just needed something so that I could run. I was kind of in a time crunch because David and I had driven together and I had to pick him up later from MARTA, but I manage to squeeze in a good 3.75 miles.

I won't lie. I could tell that my body was a little off. That first mile was great, but from then on I started feeling tired. After mile 3 I was breathing pretty hard, but I was determined to finish strong. I was happy with my run and was just so excited to get back out there. It really made my day! And David was glad that I was able to jump back into my routine. Can't wait to get back on track!

Sickness, snow, and ice slowing me down!!

It was bound to happen. I haven't been sick in months. I actually thought to myself the other month, "man, I haven't been sick in awhile." Well, all it took was winter to get here and there I was sick for a week. It is always about a week process. And I am pitiful when I am sick. Plus, this time around I have a new job that is more demanding and I didn't feel like I could just take off if I was feeling bad. I got "sent home" a few days because I was feeling pretty rough and it showed.

Meanwhile, I was not running. David was adamant that I would not go to the gym if I was sick. I agreed with him and plus I didn't feel like running. I just wanted to sleep. A few days of no running and I started to get stir crazy and felt the pressure of missing my training runs. David encouraged me to give myself more time to recover. I finally waited till Saturday - a whole 7 days since my last run which I felt so guilty about. David told me not to push it - not to try and make up for the time I had lost. I told him I would. And I tried, but I failed.

The plan was to run an easy three. Then I started increasing the speed on the treadmill. I'm not going to lie. Three was hard. And it made me frustrated. How can running three miles be this difficult when I ran seven miles with ease last week? I was determined to push myself and thought my body was probably just trying to fight laziness. Well, what I learned was that my body was trying to tell me to stop. Did I listen? Heck no. I just kept running. I said, "Please, you can run farther than this, let's run 4."

And that's what I did. I ran 4 and it was painful. That last mile I was snotty and gross. I was super red faced. Right when I stepped off the treadmill I knew I had pushed too hard. I knew Hal would not approve. Dang it. I took a shower hoping I would feel better. It worked for the first hour or two, but then I felt it. My nose started running Saturday afternoon and didn't stop until sometime Monday. I was sneezing, my nose felt completely congested, I was miserable...again. I cried on Sunday when I woke up still feeling so bad. I knew this may have something to do with the fact that I jumped back into it a little early and then I pushed when I finally got back to running. Mistake.

To my surprise it actually snowed and iced the roads Sunday night, so Monday we were off work and I was able to use it as another day to recuperate. I needed it. Tuesday I felt much better, but the ice was worse. Roads were closed, schools were closed, Courts were closed, grocery was closed, my work was closed, and worst of all gym was closed. Geeze. I couldn't get a break. The thing about snow and ice? Well, it doesn't make for great running conditions. I was not about to go running outside in 20 degree weather and break my ankle. Talk about a real training problem.

I figured Wednesday would be better. So, here comes Wednesday and I am praying I can make it to the gym to run and more importantly -WORK! So, David and I got dressed and ready to go. We hopped in the car and backed out of the driveway and SKIDDDDDDDD I started sliding all over the road and couldn't make it up the hill. Luckily we got the car back in the driveway. We decided it wasn't worth it to go to work, so back to the house we went for day THREE of being stuck in the house.

I figured maybe I could walk to the gym. It is about a mile and half. If I cut through Blackburn Park maybe I could make it closer to a mile. I looked up the Y online and to my surprise- CLOSED. Again? I started thinking maybe I would just run loops in the basement. I was desperate people. I realized that was kind of a stupid idea, so I opted to drink wine and play Yatzee with David instead. Meanwhile in the last week and a half I have only run ONCE. And it was a total disaster.

Here is hoping that Thursday is better! I will make it to work and run! It's gotta happen!

New Year's Day: 1 Hour Cross

So, Hal's training plan called for a 1 hour cross on New Years Day. Considering how much we (or I) partied it up on New Years Eve, I knew this was going to be tough. Ouch. Luckily I started to feel better about 3 or so in the afternoon and figured I could make to the gym by 4:30 and get an hour workout in. The fact that I didn't have to run and that I just needed to cross train made me feel more confident about my workout. I figured I would bike some and do this elliptical-type machine that somewhat mimics running without the impact. See below:

Yeah, I wish I looked like that when I worked out. This thing is called "The Arc" and it is categorized as a "cross trainer" - Perfect! The website says, "The Arc Trainer is a totally unique exercise machine.  The science behind the Arc Trainer's big calorie burn is the arc motion. It engages the right muscles – quads and glutes – that demand lots of energy from the body when they are called upon to work. That means calorie burn and, because the Arc Trainer is demanding of the muscles – not the joints, it can be used longer without putting a strain on the knees, hip or back."

45 minutes on the Arc and 15 on the spin bike and I had a good cross training workout. I really enjoyed the Arc. Time seemed to go by pretty quickly and even though I was burning some serious calories on this thing - (550!!) I wasn't "dying" like I sometimes feel when running.  Funny enough, The Arc seemed to take more energy, but I didn't really break too much of a sweat. On the the bike I was dripping!  It was weird to me because I didn't feel like I was working any harder on the bike, but I was definitely working up way more of a sweat. At the end of the workout I was so glad I had gotten my butt up and gone to the gym! It was worth it! I will definitely be using The Arc more often for cross training in the future.

NYE Long Run

Here are a few pics from my long run yesterday. It was amazing! Most of it was due to the awesome weather. Hal's training plan called for 7 miles. I was looking forward to getting to run in this unseasonably warm weather - it was 55 degrees when I headed out. I started off my run at Murphey Candler Park. I love that this place is only a mile away from my house and has a great running trail. 

 

The run starts over this "lake" (more like big pond) and continues into the woods. I love running there because it reminds me so much of trail running in high school. It was great to run where it is quiet and away from all of the cars. Plus, trails keep it interesting with varying hills and turns. The only thing downside about the trail is that it is only 1.5 miles around. After my first loop I tossed my long sleeve shirt back into my car and headed back around for lap two. Before I knew it I was three miles in and almost halfway done already. 

The big thing that I tried to focus on yesterday was my pace. Hal says to run about 20-30 seconds slower than your race pace. Running around a 4:16 (my predicted time from Runner's World) means that I will be running about a 9:47-9:48 mile, so I should be aiming for at least a 10 minute mile on my long runs. Not much slower and not much faster. Practicing at this pace on my long runs will allow me to be comfortable running at 9:48 on race day and to know how it feels to run that pace. 

What I learned yesterday is that running that slow is HARD! Within the first few minutes I looked down at my Garmin and notice I was running at 8:49 - way too fast. I had to constantly remind myself to slow down. It is hard to run slower when you feel like you can push it, but I need to learn this technique. It will be critical to slow my pace for the marathon if I want to make it all the way through the 26 miles. Going out too fast because of excitement will mean hitting "the wall" sooner and fading in the last critical miles.    

I will update the blog with my Garmin breakdown, but here is my finishing time which I was pretty happy with (an average of 9:35 pace). My last mile I pushed it because I felt like I had a lot left (which I was VERY happy about). I will be interested Garmin's mile by mile details.

Overall it was a GREAT run and really got me excited about the many more long runs to come. Hal's training advice is already paying off. I can't wait for what is next!!