Reaping the benefits

I am loving this taper!

Tonight was almost the run that didn't happen. I'm leaving for Chicago tomorrow and, amazingly, everything was wrapped up for the meeting by early afternoon. I thought I had it made to leave a little early and get my run in. Then the afternoon exploded out of left field with another project and I was completely stressed out. I still managed to leave a few minutes early (because, really, I'm going to have to deal with it tomorrow anyway). I drove to my run start and I was a mess. I couldn't find my phone and I kept dropping things. I felt so rushed that I forgot to stretch before I got going and I definitely felt it a few miles in.

At some point I relaxed and put the fact that I still had to pack (still have to as of now, haven't done a thing since I got home) and the anxiety over work out of my mind and tapped into the idea that my run was my time and to get everything out of it that I could.

And, honeys, I milked that sucker for all it was worth. 8.09 miles at a 9:35/mile pace. That is probably my best pace to date and it was for a pretty decent distance. I felt awesome! Check out these splits!!

I had a sub-9 mile in there! I was on fire tonight! I think knowing that my runs will get shorter until the marathon made me feel like I could put more into it. I don't want to burn myself out but I feel like if I work a little harder now when I go out slower for the marathon to account for the distance I'll be okay. Seems like that would work, anyway. Who knows?

I'm packing my running stuff. Thankfully I only have to get one run in and it's a 5-miler. On Thursday we don't get started until 11:30 so I'm hoping I can hit the treadmill at 8 without everything falling apart as it always seems to onsite. I don't have the greatest track record getting my runs in on the road but the odds are more in my favor than they usually are and I'm SO close to finishing up this training I think that will motivate me to get to the gym.