Good progress, surprising distance

After yesterday's invigorating run I was anxious to get out this morning and duplicate my good experience. It's due to rain fairly hard today but it was dry at 8:20 AM when I began my run. It may have been a little warmer than yesterday at that time, closer to 30 degrees than 25, and there was some moisture in the air that made it feel even warmer. Like yesterday I wore three top layers but I traded the running tights for lined running pants. That was a good choice and I remained comfortable throughout my entire run.

I'd covered 2.15 miles on Saturday which was a good distance in terms of progress and my current readiness. I mapped out a route this morning that would add about 10% more length fthan yesterday's run. Somehow during today's run I forgot some details of the route and I ended up covering 22% more distance - 2.75 miles in 28:15. My pace was slightly faster than yesterday's: 10:16 per mile although I didn't think at all about speed. Instead I tried to focus on my forward lean and front and mid-foot landing. I only monitored the time on my Garmin as I ran and ignored the other metrics. When I passed 25:50 I thought wistfully of recent past glories - back in November I PR'd in a 5K race at that time. Today I ran 2:25 minutes longer than that but covered 11% less distance. My reaction to running 2.75 miles at 10:16 was great happiness. I didn't want to go as far as I did but I recovered well, re-hydrating with a can of coconut water. As of now, I feel no inclination to rest or nap.

Next week will be a test in terms of my returning to my usual 4:00 AM running schedule. I'm thinking that I'll rest on Monday, treadmill run on Tues and Wed and rest or elliptical on Friday. That's the plan for now. If I'm dragging during the second half of the work day I may need to cut back a little on that program.