Today was just one of those days. Last night I knew that I wanted to go for a long run. I set my goal today for 8 miles and my original intention was to wake up early and run it in the morning. That didn't happen. I was too tired after having watched Ocean's 13 and then read some before going to bed. The clock read 2:00 AM. So the afternoon rolls around and I eat an early dinner then sit down and read some more of Ultramarathon Man. After reading about Karnazes first Western States 100 finish I was so inspired I started thinking lets push it to 10 if I am feeling good.
Hit the bike path and start out at a nice even pace at around 8:15 a mile or so. Soon enough I am feeling good so I decide to push it to 5 miles before turning back, but that wasn't enough! I started feeling the runner's high. Perhaps the first time I have ever recognized it for what it was. I was 6.5 miles into the run and started smiling and hitting my stride. Everything felt great when I usually start to feel tired. Hell with it, gonna do 13.1 miles today and make this my endurance run for the week. The kicker, though, is that I want to run it faster than I did in Santa Cruz last April, and I want to run the entire way without stopping or walking (which I had to do in Santa Cruz). Before I knew it I was back at my car having run 13.15 miles without stopping at a 8:29 a mile pace. I came in at 1:51:41, or 7 minutes faster than my previous best Half Marathon event.
This week has been a strong week for running and it is only just beginning. I leave for Mt. Madonna on Thursday and I know I will get at least a couple of 5-7 mile trail runs in, which will most certainly improve my endurance. Before long I will be running the SF Marathon and should be in great shape to finish strong. One can only hope.
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