Going longer

It's another sunny Sunday, and I nailed another long run- 13.8 miles! I knew that this would be a jump up in mileage, so the plan was to start at an easy pace. Even though it had been an up-and-down week for training, my legs felt fairly fresh for the first few miles. I'd gotten plenty of rest, but had Mexican food for dinner, which doesn't always lead to a happy runner's tummy! I cruised in zone from miles 3-8. Around mile 5 or 6, I got a bit tired/bored, but I think taking a gel (orange-vanilla Rocatane, which tastes narnar but propels me like jet fuel!) and relaxing helped that pass, which let me get back into a long run groove.

At mile 8, the *FUN* part of the workout began. With four repeats of 3 minutes hard (sub 8:05), followed by 3 minutes easy. I wasn't sure how this would feel, but it ended up being kinda easy ;) I think it's a sign that I'm getting stronger AND more comfortable with speedier paces, even during long runs or on tired legs!! I finished the run with 3+ miles in Zone 2 at around 9:30 pace, which was speedier than my warmup.

For the next week or so, I have the goal of running a couple different routes, and I also want to try a new electrolyte drink....Finally, I need to get back into the routine of doing two functional/core routines per week.