Movin' on up!

Can I take a second to brag? I think yesterday's run was one for the books. A book that specifically highlights phenomenal runs and great feelings.

We've been running on the trace - out and backs, if you will. Mentally - these can be both tough and easy. Easy knowing that you really only run half a mile further each week the mileage increases. Tough when the atmosphere is tree, tree, tree, squirrel, crazy cyclist, tree, tree, tree, tree... Get my drift?

Staci emailed us early in the week to tell us she had something up her sleeve for Saturday's run. Her initial email outlined an 8-mile run that would take us a true eight miles through downtown - ending at our breakfast spot. The idea was something we all were excited (loose use of the word) about, but the 8-miles? While it was according to the training plan - we all (minus Staci) balked.

Why would we do such a thing?
Jess felt like she pulled a muscle the week before.  Toni's knee had been acting up.  Me? Well, we've been after speed quite a bit these days. I was worried that if we went for both speed and an increase of 2-miles - we might hurt SOMETHING. Not to mention, I felt like seven would be said if we left him out of the mileage increase. Last week was six, seven is only right in the order of life! So Staci kindly brought it down to 7-miles.

The run was FANTASTIC. It was cold (can Spring please make its way to Mississippi!?), but it was fun. We sang, we laughed, we ate sport beans and we moved from street to street. We averaged a 10-minute mile (some faster than others), and we finished right around 70 minutes. It was by far my favorite run thus far and I am actually really excited about next week's long run. I know, I know... shocker.

I'm proud of us. We ran and we ran hard. And yes, we all felt like we could have easily added another mile to it (Staci, we know!). No worries, there will be no more doubting of the training plan.