Ending With a Bang!

Distance: 1 mile
Time: 7:58

All I wanted to do today was keep my mile below 9:00. I didn't think I'd be breaking 8:00 for the first time since I started running one month ago! And yet somehow, today at Granite Hills High School, I managed to run a 7:58. This caps a week of much progress. I told myself that if I can prove that I'm done running 9:00 miles by keeping my times sub-9 for a whole week, I would begin tacking on more distance, which is what I now plan on doing starting Monday. I'll probably begin by simply upping the distance to 2 miles. But at least it's a step forward.

Today's run was a mixed bag. I was looking to perform well, but I didn't know what to expect. It was much hotter than last week when I ran an 8:09, and it was windier. The first quarter, which heads west, was tough, as the wind was strong and I felt myself running noticeably slower. When I turned south for the second quarter I didn't pick up the pace as much as I hoped I would. My split was a little over 4:00. But as soon as I headed east, with the wind now helping me, I made a conscious effort to kick it up a notch. And one marked difference about today's run came in the last quarter: I felt like I still had a lot left in me! Usually that last stretch is a pain-filled, "why-am-I-doing-this?" moment. But today I was determined to get a good time and I felt that my legs carried me through to the end. After rounding the last corner and heading down the final stretch I checked my time and saw a 6:23. I knew that I'd be getting under 9, but I realized that I had a pretty good chance of breaking 8. So I kicked it into high gear and barely scraped by with a 7:58. I have a feeling my last quarter was my fastest, which tells me I have a lot of improving still left to do.

The top picture above is looking north up the home stretch, the last quarter mile, with the desert mountains of eastern Apple Valley in the distance. The picture below that is one my wife took of me hydrating post-run. My wife, who's been on her own training regimen, ran a half-mile today. I was glad to have her there with me and proud of her effort.