Success!

After a few weeks of pretty terrible runs, I feel like I've finally broken through. Today, I ran 12 miles with an average pace that was 1 minute faster than last year's long run pace. I am especially proud of this run because the high today was 101 degrees. When I finished, it was already 92 at 10:30am. I played it smart and kept a cooler in the car with all of my drinks so that I could stop there to break up the run. I ran 4 miles, picked up a water bottle, ran another 4, picked up another bottle and a vanilla bean Gu (which was delicious, as far as gels go), then ran the last 4. I was even able to push it a bit in the last two miles so that my pace was a minute faster than my pace during the rest of the run. I didn't have any stomach problems, probably because I avoided sports drinks, which sometimes cause issues. I was also pleased to see so many runners out this morning! It was great to see them all braving the heat, and it gave me extra energy. I spent the rest of the day by the pool, and now I'm pooped. I may ride my bike tomorrow instead of doing a recovery run because I feel like I put my body through a lot today, and it deserves a nice break. Hopefully the good running will continue through the week!