9 Miles, Hills and All...

For the first time, Nate was coming down to my house to do a 9 mile run. That, in itself, was reason to find a fun run for us. It's kinda weird.... Having someone check out your running turf is personal. You don't want the other person to think your regular training grounds are lame. So, I did my best to find a run that I enjoy intermixed with the distance we needed for the half plan.

I did that... to some degree. Although, if I had it to do again, I might make some changes. For instance, we had a 9 miler on the schedule and I planned a pretty hilly route. Not intentionally, that's just kinda how it worked out. It was a joke between the two of us every time we hit a new hill. Even I was starting to wonder if I had planned all those hills somewhere in my subconscious.

The thing I focused on with this run was how scenic it is. And, in that respect, I think it lived up to its billing. It's definitely a lot easier to get a long run in when the scenery is continually changing.

As for the run, it went pretty darn good. I felt pretty fresh and strong. But, my foot ache was back this morning. Not at "keep me from running" proportions, but there none the less. So, I'll have to make sure to keep an eye on that. Nate was also struggling with a knee problem. This running thing sure makes us old men well before we should be. I think that's counterintuitive. Don't you?

Anyhow, here are the stats. All in all, a great way to start the day.

Run Recap- 9 miles, 1:29:44, 9:59 pace