The Long Run

5.42 mi, 51:24, 9:29 avg

Solo run in the neighborhood, heading over towards the golf course for the t-shaped route with nothing extra added on.  Feeling mostly recovered from Saturday's run.  Slower first mile, then slightly faster miles after that.  It did feel like a slight step backwards after Saturday's very good feeling run but overall I think I'm still getting better.

Push-ups: 64

6.29 mi, 51:53, 8:15

Today's run felt like a step back up.  No plan but to get some easy miles in.  I made it to Longleaf by 7:00.  I saw Tom heading back to Jenny's house after finishing his run on the bike path and waved to him but I don't think he saw me.  It looked like the last Strider had already left, but as I was getting ready saw Karen and Barb returning to their cars.  

Headed north up the trail and was a little less sluggish than usual for the first mile, with a 9:59.  Next two miles were in the 8:00's. Saw Melanie heading south, almost finished with her run.  Morning was beautiful I thought to myself while looking at the layer of low lying fog that would soon burn off.  It was the kind of morning where you were glad you chose running over some extra sleep and running outside over running on a treadmill, and picking a scenic route over the usual neighborhood route.  Turned around just past three miles and turned around, stopping briefly where the water stop would have been if I had been in time for the group run.

Next three miles were faster, with 7:46, 7:36, 7:31.  I next saw Corey heading north as I ran south.  Today's run was better than yesterday's, showing that yesterday's slight step back was temporary.  I wasn't in time to run with the group but I saw members from the group also running a little later.

4.23 mi, 42:47, 10:07

Easy paced run with Joe in the neighborhood, needed to be done by 7:00 so cut it short a little bit.  Jessica's kids stayed over last night so helped get everyone ready and took Sophia to school since the other two had to get in earlier.

4.61 mi,  43:32, 9:27 avg

Back to dead legs and not as many miles as I had hoped for.  Cut it short a little bit and then threw in 6 x 25 second strides at a pace faster than what I had been running but much slower than what I'd usually run strides (usual about 5:30ish, today was more like 6:30ish, except for one where I could not break 7:00).

It did help get me out of the rut a little bit.

7.59 mi, 1:06:01, 8:42 avg

I ran from my house to the Y and then back, taking a longer but less trafficy route on the way home.  Weather was cool and comfortable.  I felt good at first, then struggled for a little bit, until finally getting into a groove and feeling good the last 3.59 miles to get back home.

Did some push-ups and pull-ups after the run.

12.01 mi, 1:50:01, 9:10 avg

Ran in Starkey Park with Jamie.  Saw a few other people but it was a pretty small group overall.  Also, there was a 10k race going on and I think I was suppposed to park elsewhere but no signs were posted.  Cooler weather (52 degrees, maybe a little colder at the start), pretty good run overall.  At 5.5 miles out there is a small shelter (picnic table with a roof) that used to have a 5 gallon water cooler.  Water cooler and its frame are missing, not sure if it is coming back.  Had a small hand and didn't need that much.

Now I'm only 31 miles away from 2000 miles for the year.