LRM Training Run #2, 6 Mile Longrun

LRM Miles Trained To Date: 9

I'm baaaccckkkkkk! I woke up before dawn wishing it was already light out so I could get out there. It was 46 degrees and I was pumped. I waited until the sun was officially up, about 7:15 AM. I headed out. Since my new training plan has me going much slower than before, I decided it would be OK to wear my MP3 player. I also set my Garmin to ding at every mile and display the time it took to run the mile. (I'm a nerd, I know.)

At about mile 1.5 it was so foggy that I couldn't distinguish between cows and horses. As soon as I got past that fog, I was welcomed by beautiful autumn color in the trees. I wished I had a camera with me. Oh well. I had enough artillery as it was!

At mile 2.5 I discovered a privy (yes, a legitimate outhouse). I have run by there dozens of times but never saw that. Hmm!

During the whole run I kept thinking "I love running! It is my thing!" I did not stop today - at all. No walking until I turned the Garmin off in my neighborhood. I think running slower is actually teaching me how to run faster and more efficiently. What I mean is, my heart rate was pretty much always in a good range, i.e. one in which I didn't feel like I was going to pass out.

At mile 3.5 I thought of my very supportive husband and how if this was a race he'd be there cheering me on. I also thought of our fabulous friends Britt and Dawn who volunteered to be part of my "pit crew" at the Little Rock Marathon. They are wonderful!

At mile 4 I noticed some nice brick detailing on a fireplace. At mile 5 I got pretty happy to be almost done. I had some minor aches and pains happening, which is normal.

I finished in 1:13:15. Here are my lap times:
Mile 1: 11:57
Mile 2: 12:17
Mile 3: 12:01
Mile 4: 12:13
Mile 5: 12:25
Mile 6: 12:19
Average: 12:13 (a bit too fast, per the training program, but I promise to get slower next week!)