I needed that!

Today was the second time I did a 22 mile run.  The first time I did it, it hurt, I thought I was never going to get done and today it felt amazing.  My first thought was I must be running a lot slower today and conserving energy.  so once I got home I compared my times

4/25/2012 (22 days ago)
21 miles in 3 hours 21 minutes and 51 seconds for an average pace of 9:10 minute miles.

Today
21.15 miles in 3 hours 19 minutes and 19 seconds for an average pace of 8:59 minute miles. 

Boom! 

This run really felt so good!  It was a confidence boosting run.  Last time I ran 22 miles I felt done, I felt like it took everything I had to keep running, keep moving and finish those last two miles and I wondered how on earth I was supposed to be able to run another 4.2 miles.  It seemed impossibly crazy.

Today I felt like I could have kept running.  I wanted to keep running.  It was starting to get pretty warm out by the end of the run, but I am trying to embrace the heat as I will be running my marathon in July when things can be pretty warm.  What an amzing difference in the two runs.

I even ran the last two miles in 8:22  and 8:17. 

Not that I ever doubted I could do 26.2 miles, but this really made me feel like my training is doing great.  My hip is feeling good, I hydrated and fueled good during the run.  I feel ready. 

I think I have shared this one before, but I really do love it. 

I feel like I have come so far in the last two years with my running.  So happy with where I am at right now. 

It might have helped that I have taken it pretty easy the last week to rest up my hip since it was giving me some problems.  I had an ortho sports medicine surgeon look at it yesterday and he thought it seemed like my gluteus medius.  He recommended anti inflammatories, stretching, rolling, icing, all the things I have been doing. 

It does seem to be feeling better, but I am not sure if it is the anti inflammatories I am taking or if it is really getting better.  Either way,  go away hip pain!

I am thinking of doing a 10k this weekend.  I wasn't going to, but I am feeling good and love the great speed workout it gives me.  Plus I really want to do another 10k.  I feel like I can do better than I have at that distance.  I have only done two so far, but am determined that I can run it faster than I have. 

Okay so maybe this wouldn't be a good week to do it since I wouldn't be very rested but I think I will do it anyway.  I am going to skip the next 10k that is coming up since it is too close to my marathon. I have such a hard time resisting a race!