Jeff Runs Stacie Down
This was a great run. I rested yesterday and my leg was feeling much better, though I still walk funny. I was supposed to run 8 miles at marathon pace--which I am hoping to be 9 mm. Last week I tried to do 7 in 63 minutes. I did it in 66. Today I was gunning for 72 minutes. I came in at just under 69. My pace was 8:35. I just went out fast and was able to keep it up. It helped that Stacie was running a little further today and left before I did. I had no idea where she was until just before the big hill on Eastdell. Before I crossed 94th S, a couple came walking from the other direction. They said, "She is just up ahead," while pointing just up the hill. It took me a few seconds to figure out what that meant, and then I realized they had seen us running together around there before and that Stacie was ahead of me. I attacked the hill and shortly after getting to the top, I saw her off in the distance. I now had a target. It took me a few miles to chase her down and I finally caught her on Buttercup drive. I had to stop at Buttercup park for water, but I was on pace at this point and wanted to finish strong. It helped to have to chase Stacie for that long and now my goal was in sight. It felt really good to finally actually run under my target pace for a medium distance run. It gives me hope for the marathon. It also felt good to know my leg wasn't hurting as much and didn't hold me back. Now, I'm still having a hard time conceptualizing running at that pace for over three times the distance, but it is easier to see than it was a week ago.
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