10 miles with my running group at 6:30am. Weather=38F, 12mph wind, dark then sunny. Average pace=8:19/m. mile 1- 8:18 mile 2- 8:20 mile 3- 8:34 mile 4- 8:39 mile 5- 8:21 mile 6- 8:18 mile 7- 7:56 mile 8- 8:04 mile 9- 8:12 mile 10- 8:11 I started off with the fastest group and we did the first two miles at 8:15ish pace. I thought I was going to die. I didn't feel so good. I've been having some kind of stomach bug these last 3 days. At the 2 mile water stop I told them I was going to hang back today. They were all going to be speeding up after that and most of them were doing 20 miles today. I was kinda disappointed that two guys, Ross and Chris, said they would slow down with me. I said I was also only going 10 miles and they both said they wanted to do the same. I was worried that I would be locked into a pace even if I started feeling bad and wanted to slow down. We said we'd do 8:30ish but we got faster. I was feeling pretty awful until mile 6. I was running on sheer will power. I was going much faster than I felt comfortable going. This was partly the stomach sickness and partly the fact that I'm out of shape. I didn't tell them I was dying though. At the mile 5 turn around I told them I was going to put in both ear buds and concentrate. I sped up in mile 6 and the guys kept up. I just couldn't wait to get to the mile 6 water stop so I could take a break so I just kept getting faster. Before I knew it, something clicked and I had a second wind. I felt great! It was like I woke up finally. In mile 8 Ross looked at me and motioned to his watch. I looked down and saw average pace 7:57! I was kinda surprised. I told him it was my techno music getting me in a trance. He laughed. After that though, the momentum was kinda ruined. Ross continued running sub-8:00's but Chris and I ran the final two miles at 8:15ish. It was a sufferfest for me. Those final two miles felt like the end of a half marathon. My stomach issues have only gotten worse ever since. I wonder what the deal is. I would say food poisoning but I have been cooking all my own meals ... and I don't eat meat. The rest of my family is ok. I guess just some bug. | 