wheeeeeeeeeeee!

ok, it's not often i can say that i had a good time running. But today i had a good time dammit!

this morning instead of our normal training run we ran the Fred Lebow 5 mile race in central park. it was a beautiful morning for a run. high 40s, sunny, not much wind. perfect! i haven't run a race since the cow harbor 10k back in sept., and if you remember that was pretty brutal. i was feeling good when i got to the park, but once i was lined up for the start i started to freak a bit. i am so used to feeling shitty when i run that it's almost like i am bracing myself for the pain before i take that first stride.

roxy came to the park with her friend demps who i have read about but never met before. it was nice to finally meet the man behind the legend. roxy is battling a sprained quad, so she told us upfront she would be slow and if we needed to take off we were allowed. i ran the first mile with them, but then needed to break away. i've been really curious about what kind of times i am running and this was the day to work out my pacing. seems like i am running slower and more cautious than before the injuries. speed is not a major concern this time around, i really am more focused on completing the mileage that will get me to the finishline in paris!

this was my strongest race yet! my first mile was a slow one, and i tried not to over compensate in the next 4.. just picked up the pace and listened to my ipod. it was a little tricky because i was now running among a slower pace so there was alot of maneuvering. once i got going i pretty much was hitting someplace in the 9+ minute range which is back on my old pace :)

cat hill shows up in mile 4 which kind of sucks, but seriously i took it fast. had a slight side-ache at the top which sucked but i knew i deserved it cause i should have taken the hill a bit slower. but i was feeling too good to slow down. the last mile was probably my strongest. and by the end of the race i was running so fast i felt like my legs were on autopilot.... so much fun!

remember, i'm the girl who hates running!

tonight i checked my time, and my average was 9:41 minute miles which is great to see! i'm going to stick to my training, try to hit yoga to keep my legs loose and hopefully i'll be strong come april.

it's good to be back. thanks fred lebow!


miles run: 5
album of the day: pearl jam 'pearl jam'