NEW Best Long Run EVER!

Two months ago, I posted about my best long run ever: it was 12.07 miles at 6:51 pace overall with the middle 6 miles harder averging 6:04.5/mile with the last 3 of those all having half-mile splits of sub-3:00!

Well, I out-ran that this week!

I NEEDED a good run because last week's interval workout was NOT great (more on that later this week).

And my last FOUR long runs had all been lacking. One week ago, I cut my middle 6 harder "pace miles" a little short, and they only averaged 6:13/mile (and then I hopped in the car to head north with my boys and niece and nephew!!). Two weeks ago, I ran a long 13.3 miles on Father's Day (and it was hilly which was a decent workout), but it was slower, with the overall pace being 6:54 and the middle "pace miles" being 6:24/mile as it was humid after a storm. Three weeks ago, my long run was along the north shore and not that fast: 6:50 overall pace with the faster "pace miles" in 6:15/mile. And four weeks ago was nothing special with a 6:49 overall pace with pace miles at 6:14/mile.

(There was no long run the week before that as it was the Brian Kraft 5K... which was a PR so I can't complain too much!)

I HAVE A GOAL RACE COMING UP, AND MY LAST WORKOUTS HAVE BEEN LET DOWNS. I USED THAT TO PUSH ME ON THIS WEEK'S LONG RUN!

My first half-mile starting my "pace miles" was nothing great (3:14), but then I had a better 2nd split (3:05) and even better 3rd split (3:02). It was still too soon to know if I could really keep this up, but I was working hard to post something DECENT on this run.

Out-and-back: "pace miles" between splits 5 and 17.

After turning around, I ran a few sub-3:00 splits, and I thought there was a CHANCE I could keep them all sub-3:00 for the last 3 miles, but 1 split ruined that. BUT IT WAS FAST OVERALL!! Where my best long run ever from 2 months ago had pace miles at 6:04.5 with an overall pace of 6:51, THIS run had pace miles at 6:01.2 with an overall pace of 6:39!! I was 20 sec faster in my pace miles than 2 months ago, with equal 10 secs coming from the first and last half: first 3 miles in 18:28, and last 3 in 17:39!

Missing my 3:14 starting split from my "pace miles," but these are the rest!

Oh, and I'm still NOT loving my new shoes, and they beat up my feet a little on this long run:

A blood blister formed under a regular blister. Yay.


A close-up. You're welcome.


My pinky toe got beat up too (currently, this is more sore!).


I tore it open later in the day...


... and got some bloody fluid out of it.

It felt good FINALLY having a good long run!

Oh, and I saw this last night, which helps explain those "humid" runs that sucked last month... we got SO MUCH RAIN in June:

Lots of pink over where my farming family lives!