Treading water!!!

I was just starting to think that my body had finally surrendered and agreed to put up with this whole running thing. However, my 11 mile run this past Saturday has me convinced otherwise. I had anticipated a fairly easy run on Saturday since I had run 15 miles the week before without too much trouble. But it was more difficult than I had imagined and I think there were lots of factors that played into the final result.

First, I was up late on Friday night due to our softball game being scheduled at 10 pm. So I didn't get home until around 11:30 and didn't fall asleep until after midnight. Second, I wanted to get up around 4:30 am to begin my run in an effort to avoid the heat but I didn't get on the road until closer to 5:30. It had been a really hot week so the temperature even at 5:30 am is still very warm and not conducive to running at all. And finally, I think my initial pace was too quick. I keep telling myself to take it easy the first 4-5 miles but it's difficult because I really feel strong during those miles. I ended up pacing 8:49 for the entire run because my last few miles were very slow and laborious.

My run this Saturday is 17 miles and I'm really hoping I can show better than I did last week. I am contemplating running on the treadmill where I can better control my pace especially during the first half of the run. In addition, the gym doesn't open until 6 am on Saturday so I can sleep in a little bit and not have to worry about the heat. The disadvantage of this method though is that it doesn't prepare me for race conditions especially properly pacing myself. Plus it can get a little boring running on a treadmill for 2 1/2 hours. I'll see how the week goes and make a decision on Friday.

Race day is coming up fast - less than 9 weeks left to prepare!