8 miles of smiles!

I was nervous heading out for today's 8 mile run as my training has been lacking lately, to say the least. I hadn't run since attempting 7 miles (and completing 5) last Saturday due to a chest infection, and hadn't run at all the week before that in an attempt to heal my left shin... come on body, keep up with me!

Anyways, today's run ended up being my favorite so far this summer, so maybe this 'rest time' did me some good. That, and the fact that it was only 24°C when we set out for the park at 6:45 this morning. Catching up with two of my mentees along the way made the time fly by. It wasn't the best in terms of pace (the heat seems to have slowed me down about a min/mile compared to my winter training), but I felt the best that I have in a long time- despite Harlem Hill! No side stitch, WOO! I like to think that my pre-long run fuel of Shake Shack contributed to today's success :)

Here's a look at a the route...


This run has started to restore my love of running. I'm now looking forward to the JackRabbit Battle of Brooklyn 10 miler on August 21st. And also to my 'snazzy JackRabbit "Circle Skyline" technical tee shirt'. It's all about the race shirts.

If only I didn't have to be up at 6 am tomorrow to run...

Four Weeks In and Half Way There!

Yesterday's long run took place along the Hudson river, a nice flat run with gorgeous views of the Hudson.  My teammates and I met bright and early in Central Park at 7 a.m., and heard a heartbreaking inspirational mission moment.  Not only has one of our teammates recently lost her second brother to leukemia, she also lost her mother to a stroke just weeks later.  Her story was passed on to the Team by our mission captain, who passed around cards for words of support.  I can't even begin to imagine the pain that she must be enduring at this time.  Despite all that she is going through, she is continuing to train for the NYC marathon.  She trains to stop leukemia from taking more lives.

Her story carried two of my mentees through their longest runs ever- 6 miles.  As our longest run before the Hampton's half marathon will be 12 miles or less, we're already half way there in terms of our distance.   In the last few weeks we've been working on our running form and cadence.  We'll now start focusing on effort levels before the grueling hill workouts begin.  Here's a look at yesterdays run:



I also thought I'd share my 5 mile route in Chicago from the 4th of July weekend- an amazing run along Lake Michigan and up into the Northwestern University's campus.  I miss Chicago already!