Notes
Ran my longest run since Oct. 26, 2004. It was the coldest (45 degrees) it's been out here since I've been running again and I wore my long-sleeve NYSTC green shirt from 1999.
It was a weird run. I couldn't find a pace to start. It was like I hadn't run in forever when I really just took Saturday off. I hit the first mile in 6:44.2, way faster than I wanted to run. I tried to slow down and came across the two-mile in 6:59.0. That's about where I wanted to be but I felt pretty good and just tried to keep the same pace. The next six were in 6:52.6, 6:47.4, 6:49.3, 6:49.2, 6:51.1 and 6:50.8. I started to struggle about 6.5 miles in and when I was closing in on the eight-mile mark if felt like I was going to puke or at least dry-heave. I could have dry-heaved if I forced it but I decided to just ease off a bit.
About four minutes into the ninth mile I missed a step, tripped and went right shoulder first into a light pole, while bloodying up my right knee in the process. Could have done without that. Luckily nobody was around to see, but that put a whole damper on my running. The shoulder is killing me right now. It was kind of like wrestling when a wrestler gets thrown into the turnbuckle and nails his shoulder on the ringpost, only I actually did it. Ran the next three in 7:03.4, 7:04.1 and 7:04.1, and the last 0.03 in 12.66.
Happy that I was able to run the first eight right about 6:50 pace. I was, for the most part, consistent in my paces. Then the last three were all about the same pace as well (7:04). Ran the 11.03-mile loop about 58 seconds faster than Monday. Also, the run was my second-fastest pace per mile since my "comeback," pretty remarkable considering it was also my longest. Added on another 1.03 miles (6:56 pace) at the end to make 12.06 for the day.
I need to get more sleep, eat better, stop drinking as much and focus more on my running. I like the fact that I am able to have some decent weeks of training without really compromising anything else, but I need a big week this week, hopefully at least 63. So far I've gone 35+ in seven runs, 40+ in seven runs, 42+ in six runs, 56+ in seven runs and 45+ in five runs. Would like to start throwing some surges in some of my runs, too, to simulate half-marathon pace. I should probably register, too, right? Good start to the week.