8:21 average pace. Drove to Andover to run with some different scenery. Ran all around and through the park, then ran all around the big north housing addition, then ran south by all the schools and into another housing addition on some dirt roads, finally turned around and ran back, passed a track, so decided to jog onto it and do a 400 for fun. Ran 400 in 90 seconds and felt so good I decided to make it an 800. Completed the second 400 in 93 seconds, jogged a lap, then ran another 90 second 400, then jogged off the track and back to the park and my car. Other than my rendezvous with the track kept the pace easy--am surprised I was running sub-9 miles. It rained right before I ran and was nice and cool--68 degrees when I started. No breakfast, no water, no fuel, and felt fine throughout the whole run. Am surprised at how much easier 6:00 pace feels now. Will probably not race on the 4th. There is a cross-country 5k on the 11th, I'm off that day, and haven't run cross-country in a long time. I will probably wait and race then. | 