Running Running Running

Last Thursday night I got home from a work outing and decided to go running around 9:30. It was a gorgeous night - cool but not cold, with a breeze. I wove my way through some of the streets around my apartment, but I soon cut over to the West Side Hwy. I didn't do this at first because I thought the streets would be safer at night, but there were too many people out. On the less crowded streets it was kind of fun to weave around the pedestrians though. Mostly what struck me was the feeling of strength and speed I had. I don't know how far I really went, but I had that nighttime flying sort of feeling. Because it wasn't hot and I wasn't geared up for an intense workout or long run, I was really enjoying just getting my body moving, and I could tell that I've really made progress in the past couple of months. It was lovely.

Then Saturday we had our weekly long run. We started at the riverside park on W 72nd st and headed south. My plan was to run 10 miles, but I didn't map it out beforehand and so I wasn't really sure when to turn around. I knew I was running slowly. The sun was really intense and it was getting pretty damn hot, tough conditions to push yourself in when you don't quite know where your destination is. I ended up doing about 8.7 miles. Certainly the longest run I've ever done, but I was slightly disappointed. I was still pretty wiped out though. I'd been on the fence about whether to run a 10k on Sunday, and it turned out to be a good thing I didn't pre-register or I might not be able to walk now.

More hills tomorrow night, then another race on Saturday. This one is a 4-miler. Weird how that seems short to me.