Under 8

Distance: 1 mile
Time: 7:59
Location: Powhatan Road

*Note - This run occurred Friday, May 6th.

My miles have been progressively faster since last week, but I wasn't expecting to break 8 minutes quite so soon. Tonight I ran a 7:59, the second fastest time on the Powhatan Route and only the second time I've broken 8 on this route. I didn't feel like I ran a 7:59; in fact, I felt like I wasn't going to beat Wednesday's 8:14. But my strides were a bit more powerful, and, again, I remained on my toes for most of the run, relying on the muscles in my legs more than on overall endurance. I only ran under 8 minutes three times last year, twice at Granite Hills and once on Powhatan. So to be back in that range is a great feeling. I'm still quite a ways away from my overall PR of 5:28, but I'm creeping up on it for sure. I've decided to list below my top 5 times on the Powhatan Route, just to see where I stand now in comparison to last year:

1. 7:57 9/11/10
2. 7:59 5/6/11
3. 8:14 5/4/11
4. 8:21 9/6/10
5. 8:25 6/18/10

Two of my top 5 times have come this week, which tells me that I'm right back on track. However, running a mile doesn't necessarily indicate a strong level of endurance. Once I finally start running 2 miles and more, then I'll really see where I stand. But for now it's nice to be feeling good out there and not lagging behind where I got myself last year.