Run: 8 miles in :58:54 min. @ 7:00 a.m.

Weather: Dreary, 26°F, 52% Humidity, Wind: From SSW @ 11 mph; feels like 25°F.
Course: Scotty's Eastside 8-Miler
Pace: 7:27 min./per mile

I woke up early today and following a quick yoga series and a short sitting-session, went for a run that, if all goes according to plan tomorrow, will contribute to my first full week (5 days of running/2 days of recovery) of training in many a moon.

Given the unusually dry January roads here in upstate New York, I set aside my traditional winter footwear (trail running shoes) in favor of my summer/fall training shoes. Though my toes were initially cool, I felt a lightness in my step that was likely due more to my rested and relaxed state, than the lighter shoes and absence of training belt, which I could not find this morning, so left behind with my cell-phone (my usual running companion in case of emergency).

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!