Week 9: Another milestone

I was dreading this week's long run. I was barely able to finish 5 miles on the last long run. How can I finish 7?

Would the weekday runs help? We had started running 3 miles now on Monday's and Thursday's. Those are tough, but I'm counting on the body's ability to adapt. It's two weeks since I (barely) finished the 5 miles, but it's not like I've been lounging around since then.

The run is at Shoreline this time, a little flatter than the up and down Campbell park. I start and before I know it, I've crossed the three mile mark.

Why is it that the weekday 3 miles seem much tougher than these first three miles? Is it because I'm mentally geared on the long run to not stop at three miles? The mind works in strange ways.

By the 4.5th mile, I'm feeling it a bit in my knees and shins. But then a surprising thing happens. After the 5 mile mark, I get into some sort of rhythm. My feet are moving, but I'm not really thinking. I cant really explain it. It's like the feet have taken a life of their own. Plus my breathing has also settled into a rhythm. This feels good! I know this can't last forever, but I milk it for the last two miles. At the end, even though my legs feel a little heavy and sore, I'm not panting as much as the run two weeks ago. This is good. The confidence is back!