A New Mark

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 18:16

After weeks and weeks of stagnation and even regression, today was a big step forward. I set a new 2 mile PR since beginning to run 2-mile routes one month ago. My previous 2010 PR was an 18:47, set on June 29; tonight I shaved off 31 seconds by running an 18:16. My last run, on Tuesday, was a 19:56, so somehow in just 2 days I lowered my 2-mile time by 1:40! I don't know exactly why tonight's run was so much better, but I have some guesses. For one, I changed up my route. I've been sticking to my standard neighborhood course for quite a while now, and I'm sure I was mentally getting tired of it. So today I decided to head up to Granite Hills High School and run 2 laps around the perimeter of the school. The change of scenery was mentally stimulating I think. Plus, I ran earlier, around 7pm, so I wasn't running in pitch black, I was actually able to look around and see some stunning vistas as the sun began to set. Lastly, I never stopped. Very rarely, unfortunately, on these 2 mile runs, do I make it the whole way without stopping. I usually take a quick break at the half-way point, but I'm going to work on eliminating that now. Today I ran straight through the whole way, and I think it showed in my time. I kept a good pace, very steady, and was even able to muster a kick at the end. And what was really great was I didn't feel any muscle soreness or aches or anything. I felt pretty good throughout the run, with probably my biggest weakness tonight being my stamina. My breathing was pretty labored, and I accredit this to not running consistently the last couple of weeks. But I was just thankful to be feeling strong during the run and not hobbling on a bad leg or cringing with each step because of back pain. I hope tonight was a sign of things to come.

Like I mentioned, the views tonight were fantastic. The evening was clear and the temperature was perfect after a scorching day. The sun cast long shadows across the Mojave, and the distant mountains shown dramatically. I was actually lost in the scenery for a while during the run..... it was a nice distraction. The top picture is looking southeast toward the San Bernardino Mountains -- the setting sun made the desert brush rather colorful, and the near full moon was brightly luminous. The bottom shot is Granite Hills High School -- the perimeter of this school is a perfect mile, so it's a nice route to use when I need a straightforward and orderly course to run. It's also nice because the school sits virtually alone in the desert. This provides clear views of the surroundings, valleys, mountains, and sky. It's a peaceful place to run (as long as school isn't in session).