Ready to Run

After taking Sunday off from running and only training Saturday, my legs were ready to roll today! I wasn't fast by most standards, but at this point mine are the only standards that matter, so I was fast. That is, faster today (24:32) than last Monday (26:17) and Wednesday (25:55). These were all 5K times, though today I ended up running 4 miles—I just couldn't stop, and since I was faster today I had a little extra time :-) Also, my route today was slightly different. All were on the trails at the DHY, but Monday was up to Stewart's Ferry then down to the fork to turn around, Wednesday was right at the fork to the bridge to turn around, and today was left at the fork then down to the missing quarter-mile marker to turn around.

 Monday's early run

Today's fun also included a hill that neither of the others included, and my pace was 7:55 for the 5K and 8:09 overall (yep, totally slowed down for the mile-ish cool down). Not going to complain about going sub-8. Someday I'll be able to put together multiple 7-minute or sub-7 miles, hopefully in races, but right now I'll take what I can get as long as I keep improving.

 Birthday treats at work...yum! Happy birthday, Jennifer!

My afternoon run (I passed on the cheesecake but took a piece home for later) was on a different course than I've run over the last week, but it was still the fastest 5K I've run in the last week. Not my fastest by any means, but my 24:12 (7:49 pace) here beat my 24:32 from this morning, so I'm happy with the continued improvement. Again, like this morning, my legs were ready to go.

Monday's later run—Moores Lane is such a fun hill (hah!)

Then I though later, Maybe I know knowing I'll be doing more than 5K so I can go hard for a few miles and then cool down for 1+. Who knows; it's probably all a mind game anyway.