There Is No Finish Line

When I jumped on the treadmill after school today, I quickly realized that I was feeling good. Really good. Then I decided that since these types of feel good days have been less frequent as I've been trying to get back into the swing of things at school, I needed to take full advantage of my fresh legs. So, with a month to go before the Army ten miler, I decided it was time to hit it full speed ahead...literally.  I actually think this may have been the fastest ten miler I've ever run. Here's how it went....

miles 0-1  8:34 pace
         1-6   8:27 
         6-7   8:20
         7-8   8:13
         8-9   8:07
        9-10  8:00


Not having planned to get in a 10 miler, I didn't have gu or bodyglide so I had to dig way deep for those last couple of miles.  Nonetheless, it felt great to get some faster miles in.  Who knows how I'll be feeling on race day, but I've quickly learned that it's not healthy to head into race day with a do or die mentality. You give it what you have on that day and that's that.  Of course, PRs are always nice, but it's silly to get down on yourself after you just ran your heart out. For some people, the paces above are a breeze. For others, it's fast. Regardless of where you are as a runner or with whatever it is that you're passionate about, it's YOUR goals that matter. Set them, work for them, and achieve them.

 Sooner or later the serious runner goes through a special, very personal experience that is unknown to most people. Some call it euphoria. Others say it's a new kind of mystical experience that propels you into an elevated state of consciousness. A flash of joy. A sense of floating as you run. The experience is unique to each of us, but when it happens you break through a barrier that separates you from casual runners.  Forever. And from that point on, there is no finish line.  You run for your life. You begin to be addicted to what running gives you. (source)