A surprisingly decent time for a low PE run

Today's run (street): 3.6 miles

My Labor Day weekend started this morning, so I had an opportunity do a weekday run longer than my usual, time-constrained 2.5 miles. It's actually 2.53 miles, but who's counting? Well, I am. An extra three hundredths of a mile drops my average pace by six seconds per mile at that distance.

I targeted about 3.5 miles for today because it's a nice bump up from the 2.53 on a weekday, but short enough to get it done quickly. Although I didn't need to rush out the door when I returned home, the rest of the day was booked and I wanted a chance to relax before I headed to my first appointment.

My run was interesting. It was hot by the time I got outside and I wasn't really in the mood to push hard. I used only my heart rate as a way to gauge my performance and adjusted my speed to get into my targeted zone. Even while my pulse increased, I didn't feel like I was working as hard as I did last week, when I broke 9:00 four mornings in a row.

I ended up completing this run in the mid-9:00 range. Going only by perceived effort (PE), I expected that number to be 20 secs/mile slower. I was pleased with that performance on a hot day when I wasn't really working that hard. My average HR for the run was at the lower end of the anaerobic range. That tells me I have more on tap than I've been using on most runs.