Long Run – almost 100% successful
The only lack of success is that I’d planned on 15 miles and not the 12 I ended up with. But – I only have 11.55 miles left to hit 100 miles for April, and I’m pretty sure I can do it!
I met up with her & her this morning. I wasn’t feeling incredible today – maybe last night I should’ve tried to remember that I was planning a 15 miler today instead of just drinking beers with my cousin. Blech. Anyways, we had maps for a couple of loops, so we started with the 8.25 mile loop. There were a couple walk breaks, but we finished the loop with 7.3 running miles. Then Sarah & I took off for a 2nd smaller 4-mile loop (that actually ended up being 4.7 miles) and finished with 12 miles total. The running routes were great loops through NE Portland – we saw a lot of beautiful houses & trees & gardens. It was gorgeous.
After the 12 miler, Sarah & I went to Por Que No which was only a couple of blocks away. I had tamales & strawberry lemonade & beer (Amnesia Desolation IPA – YUM!), she had tacos & beer & also, in her continuing infinite wisdom, order chips & guac & even let me have some – double YUM!
Now I am home being happy with our run times – my splits:
Mile 1: 10:43
Mile 2: 10:38
Mile 3: 10:49
Mile 4: 10:58
Mile 5: 10:21
Mile 6: 10:37
Mile 7: 11:17
Mile 8: 10:24
Mile 9: 10:14
Mile 10: 10:43
Mile 11: 10:30
Mile 12: 9:54
Total: 2:07:12 – average pace of 10:36 minute miles.
I’m pretty stoked that I had a sub 10-minute mile left in me at the end – we were pretty anxious to be done at that point, too. We were both just getting to the ‘bitching about the run’ point when we ran by a home for quadripelegics and saw a woman in a wheelchair & realized how incredibly lucky we were to be running – I think that gave me a burst of speed.
My half marathon is in two weeks, and I’m beginning to feel ridiculously confident that I am going to kill last year’s time. My first goal is to just beat last year’s 2:25 time (11 minute miles). My 2nd goal is to come in under 2:15 (10:18 pace), and my super-secret goal that I will share with no one but you is to come in under 2:10 (9:55 pace). The runner’s world training calculator seems to think, based on my recent 5K time that 2:10 is doable. I’m not entirely sure I believe the calculator, but I do think that I can PR by the 10 minutes necessary to hit 2:15. And if I don’t, I’ll have another chance on 7/4 when I do the Sauvie Island half marathon (all Portlanders doing that race – we can carpool from my house if you want).
I’m really starting to feel so strong & confident in my running. I’m never going to be a speedy gonzales like her, but I’m feeling so good about the strength & speed I have gained. On my 3-day weekend, I ran 22 miles – something I couldn’t have even conceived of three years ago. And now, I’m 11.55 miles away from my first-ever 100 mile month! That’s pretty amazing, if you ask me!
Happy running, people!
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