Running With Perseverance

Today brought one of those glad-to-be-alive perfect-November-day kind of runs.

My Weather Channel app said it was 40F, but my car thermometer said 33F, and the frost on the grass supported the car reading! I opted for running tights, a long-sleeved tech shirt, my awesome lightweight Brooks jacket, a headband, and thin running gloves.

I drove to a different park on the bike path than my usual staring place, and ran 4 miles south, overlapping one mile with my usual north-south route. This route starts closer to the river, and the view was gorgeous. There was mist rising off the river near the far shore, and the trees on the far shore were lit up by the sunrise.

Along the whole southbound leg I was struck by the beauty of the trees. Bright yellow. Pumpkin orange. Every shade of red. The colors were brilliant and illuminated by the early morning sun. The northbound leg brought a few moments of blinding sun, but the terrain soon sheltered me from the glare.

The temperature was perfect for a long run. Brisk enough to be invigorating, but not so cold as to leave any extremities feeling numb. My pace was faster than usual (soon I will have to stop saying this, if this new faster pace becomes my usual pace!) and even the hills didn’t seem to slow me down–at least until the series of three in a row at the end of mile 8.

I finished feeling great. My average pace for the whole 8.25 miles was exactly 9:30, with a negative split. My first few miles were around 9:45, while some of my last few were around 9:15.

I walked past the parking lot to cool down, used a low stone wall on a bridge overlooking the river to stretch, and then walked back to my car. By then I was starting to feel the cold, so I cranked up the heat and the seat warmers, and made my way to Starbucks.

After a tall Thanksgiving Blend and low-fat turkey bacon and egg sandwich, I was ready for a long, hot shower, more coffee, and the rest of this gorgeous November day!