8 miles :)

When I woke up this AM, I realized it was a perfect day for a run!! Sunny, 70 and a light breeze. Since I've been slacking lately, I got pretty ambitious and mapped out an 8 mile run for myself. For me, the best way to mentally prepare for a long run, is to set realistic goals for myself. I know I can run 5 miles pretty easily, so adding on three isn't necessarily going to break me down. BUT, I like to know where each mile mark is, and decided today I could walk IF I needed to, but only after I passed the six mile marker. Luckily, when I got there I felt GREAT!! I finished the whole run in a little under 70 minutes, which is right around 9 minute miles. Since the half marathon is rapidly approaching, I feel a lot more confident knowing I can maintain a reasonable pace for at least 8 miles. The goal for next week is to run 9, and to get back on track for my cross training this week. Since I had so many visitors last week it was hard to maintain a regular training schedule, but the key is to not let this continue. It's really easy to be afraid to get back into it, or to go easy on yourself on your first day back, but it's amazing how much of your endurance will be maintained even if you don't workout for a week. I am so happy I set out to run that far today, because I surprised myself, and that's the best Easter present I could get!