Mid-Week Long Run

Today was my mid-week long run of 7 miles. I guess I should have done it yesterday but I put it off. So now I have 4 miles tomorrow and this week's long run of 10 miles on Friday. I am heading up to the Olympics Friday afternoon and Saturday so my other option is 10 miles on the treadmill Sunday afternoon (which will be a challenge considering the Y no longer has Sunday afternoon childcare so my Little Buddy will be hanging around and restless). So my only real option is Friday mid morning.

Today I headed out with no route or plan for my run, just 7 miles on my Garmin (poor guy still needs a name, click HERE). I know better than to set out without a route in mind because it makes it too easy to find myself heading home at 4 miles. So I set out and quickly came up with a plan. I headed to the local University half a mile away and ran a mile on the track. After that I hit up my usual 4 mile route and ended with another mile on the track and a half a mile home. It was perfect and running on the track gave me legs a nice change of surface to run on.

I felt really good throughout the run until about 5 miles in. My hip started to nag, just a little bit. So while waiting at a cross walk I gracefully executed my straight leg kick and heard a loud POP even over the sound of my blasting iPod. I took off again and was relieved to feel that the small nag has subsided. Now I just have to figure out how to keep that ball in it's socket. Ugh. I think as long as I stay in tune with my body and my aches and pains I can ward off serious injury. I have to remember to not only run hard but to run smart.

Today's stats:
Mile 1 8:55
Mile 2 8:30
Mile 3 8:45
Mile 4 8:58
Mile 5 8:37
Mile 6 8:30
Mile 7 8:24

Total Time: 1:00:51
840 Calories Burned

Would you look at that!
Not one single mile over 9 min/mile!!
This is exciting! I am not even focusing on speed these days, just logging the miles! I figured for my first marathon I just want to make sure I can go the distance. For my next one (listen to me, as if I wont die during my first marathon AND as if I will want to do another one!) I will focus more increasing speed. I got to wondering about what pace I would need to maintain to qualify for Boston. This is what I found:

"The slowest you can run and still qualify for the Boston Marathon is 3:40:59. This is a 8:25 per mile pace. If you train at 30 miles per week, you need to run a 5 K in 21:37 which is 6:57 per mile pace."

Hm, not impossible but not my goal...this time.

Today I am grateful for:
Sunshine!!
An excellent run!
A business proposal and plan in the works! I may become my own boss and business owner!!
A couple of awesome giveaways! Check out Mel-Tall Mom on the Run for your chance to win some GU, a handheld water bottle (if you dare try after my own review! But hey, some people love them), and a RoadID! Also over at Endurance Isn't Only Physical you can enter to win a running skirt! Kerrie over at Mom vs. Marathon did a great Nuun review and is giving away some tubes of Nuun, a water bottle, and socks!!! Check out these awesome blogs!

**And don't forget to enter my Give My Garmin a Name contest! He needs a name more than ever!! HERE I have had a bunch of fun suggestions and a couple that tickle my fancy, but keep the ideas coming!