Easy Day

AM – Run
Course – South Del Mar Neighborhoods
Distance – 5.0
Time 40:22
Avg. Pace – 8:05
Avg HR – 164 bpm

Last night's Cinco de Mayo celebration didn't result in a particularly late night or intoxicated night (it was however, a pretty awesome night), yet even as my head hit the pillow around 11:30 I was sure that the run was not going to be all that intense come morning.

My first thought upon waking was "There is no chance in hell I'm using the Garmin today." As much fun as it is, it also doesn't lie, and sometimes I prefer to lie to myself about my pace on these sluggish mornings. As I brushed my teeth and twisted my hair into my oh-so-ridiculous pigtails, I felt a little like I was cheating. As I laced my new shiny shoes up, twisting my house key in the laces, I sighed in defeat and strapped the sucker on. If I'm gonna stay up and have a few beers I better be willing to face the music, er pace, the next morning. I often think back to my Sunday mornings in college and marvel at how I was able to be out late the night before then roll out to a morning run and pound out 10-12 miles. Now I have two beers and am in bed before midnight and I wake up debating whether I can survive 5 miles. I think I'm getting old.

It took me a few miles to really shake things out, and it probably didn't help that I chose a route that was mostly uphill on the way out. My last two miles were perfectly comfortable and right around the pace I should be at. I definitely felt better on the second half of the run and got in that zone where you just feel like you could go forever. Unfortunately once again my self-imposed limits on mileage kept me from what could have been quite a nice 8-10 miler. However, better to cut it short while I'm feeling good then to get cut short because I pushed too much too soon.