The smog finally cleared and I was able to hit the road today. I thought I should break back into the week with an easy effort so I ran at a pace that felt comfortable and didn't check my watch until mile 3. When I did finally check my watch it said I had been running 8:15 per mile. Before the smog set in, this same course at an easy pace usually worked out to around 8:30-8:40 per mile. There are a couple of reasons that this could have been faster today. 1) I was rested because I couldn't get out monday or tuesday, or 2) the speed work I've been doing on the treadmill has been paying off. I hope it's the latter. We'll see how the rest of the week works out. I did notice that my form felt better today than I remember the last time I ran the road; almost smoother than it previously had. If the rest of the week plays out this same way I won't regret using the TM when it gets smoggy again. | 