Back on the boat

I got back on the running boat this week - yahoo!

Stats:

Tues: Super hot out, ran/walked approx 5 miles, didn't time (hour maybe?) and did strength.
Wed: Garmin died. Ran circa 4 miles in 40 minutes.
Thurs: Ran 3 miles in 28:35, plus strength.
Sat (today): Ran 10 MILES!! 1:39:14. Avg pace 9:54

Totals: ~3:47:49. ~22 miles.

Today was the first time I have run ten miles in over a year. I waited until the evening so the heat and sun would subside, and left at 5:45. Headed up Sunnyslope and then hit the New Berlin Trail. I felt great for most of it. My pace was decent, mainly in the mid 9s.

I did a few new things on this run. First, and this is kind of TMI, I decided to go commando with my built-in-underwear running shorts. I've never done that before, and I guess I didn't really feel any difference.

Moving on... I brought a water bottle. So glad I did. I also brought and consumed a Hammer gel around mile 6. It actually didn't taste that bad (strawberry cheesecake flavor), but I'm not entirely sure if it boosted my energy all that much. I did finish strong though, with my last mile averaging an 8-minute pace (which seems kind of fishy to me, Garmin).

Lastly, I put some Vasoline on my inner thighs to prevent chafing. It didn't really work, because by the time the chafing started (around mile 8) the Vasoline had already worn off. I will have to work on finding a solution for this problem, because it's pretty painful!

I took walking breaks to consume water every mile and a half or so. I think that was a smart move, and it didn't destroy my overall pace either.

All in all, today was a great run, I am motivated to kick my training up another notch and I have exactly two weeks until I run the Full Moon Half Marathon (eek!). After today's run I am feeling more confident.