1/21/09 - 8 miles

I was reminded tonight of one of the reasons I enjoy running. If you don't run long distances, you have probably not experienced a "runner's high" (although this mental and physical state is certainly experienced by other athletes in other sports). The experience is somewhat different for each person but basically you feel somewhat invincible, that you can accomplish anything and you have a heightened sense or awareness of your surroundings. The sky looks more beautiful, air tastes cleaner, colors appear more striking! It's an amazing feeling but it doesn't happen on every run. However, tonight I was able to sneak in an outdoor run after work and the weather was fabulous - cool but not cold. I ran my old 8 mile loop which takes me the long way around the neighborhood past several orange groves and Falcon Field (small airport).

I did have a bit of a scare during the 2nd mile. There is a small stretch of road that does not have lights. I usually run on the east side of the road during this stretch but the west side is more level and has more protection from road traffic so I thought I would try it out. All went well until I was about 30 feet from where the sidewalk resumes. Someone had dumped a large pile of gravel in the pathway which was difficult to see until you were right on top of it. I lurched forward and turned my right ankle. Fortunately, I did not roll it completely or I would have been laid up for several weeks. As it was, I ran it off slowly for the next quarter mile and was able to complete my run. The ankle was a bit sore later but I don't think it will be a problem.

The final 4 miles were awesome. I felt strong as I ran along listening to my ipod. There wasn't a whole lot of traffic so it was very peaceful and relaxing. I thought back to a conversation I had with my mother when she explained that she didn't enjoy running because she didn't like to be out-of-breath. Funny thing is that the more I run, the better shape I am in and I rarely feel like I am out-of-breath unless I'm really pushing the pace. This night, I felt like I could have run forever and my breathing was very calm. It seemed that my ipod knew I was feeling good and several of the songs that played during my run were ones I had selected for their inspirational value or musicality. All was right with the world and I felt fortunate to be a small part of it.

I ran the 8 miles in 1:04:24 which is an 8:03 pace. I can't recall what my heartrate was but I think it was in the low 160's.