12 miles @ 9:42/mi with Wayne, Kevin, and Larry (on his new elliptical bike).
I started out feeling okay. Legs felt a little heavy. As the run progressed I got progressively more exhausted. I struggled to run mile 11 at 10:33 pace. There are good days and bad days. Today was not a good day.
I tried to figure out the cause of my poor performance. Here are some possibilities: 1) I took Friday off work and was on my feet a lot working on a bathroom remodel, shopping, and taking graduation pictures. 2) We ate at a restaurant at 3:30pm and I don't think I ate anything after that on Friday or before the run on Saturday. 3) I spent some time in the sun on Friday and I don't remember hydrating very well before the run. 4) The sun came out and it got warm towards the end of the run.
I have to look for excuses. I ran half marathon distance at sub-9:00 pace several weeks ago, and I feel like I've been getting faster. To run 12 miles at 9:42...it has to be something besides decreased fitness.
The good news is that I set the goal several months ago to get my weight down to 165lbs before the Utah Valley Marathon. After the run I was at 165.2. I tried again after toweling off after my shower and was 165.0! Now I can feel okay about gaining weight as I begin to taper and then carbo load.
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