Run: 8 miles in 1:08.05 min. @ 5:30 a.m.

Weather: Fair, 68°F, 84% Humidity, Wind: From NW @ 7 mph; feels like 68°F.
Course: Eight Miles Jack made using USATF Map It!
Pace: 8:30 min/mile
Effort: 4 out of 5
How did I feel? Alright.
Gear: Amphipod RunLite Trail Runner

Last night I registered for my first road race in over a year, the Rochester Half Marathon on Sunday, September 12. While I have only been training for a few weeks, and I feel confident that I could finish the 13.1 mile run, I am nervous about handling the reality that I will, barring a tremendous leap in ability, be unable to match my previous best (and much more competitive) times.

At this point my only course of action is to continue training--building endurance and adding speed work (whether fartlek or track work), and most importantly, not compare my current status with what was in the past.

After a laborious "I-really-want to-stop-and-go-home" start, I managed to pull it together and have a moderately enjoyable run, primarily by focusing on the present moment. In the end I felt rewarded with a fine effort.

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