Spring has sprung my running ability!  On this “Spring Ahead” time change day, I was once again amazed that I can find ways to improve at age 55.

Today was my long run day.  I started it with a hearty bowl of oatmeal, walnuts, blueberries, honey, and bananas at 6am.  Then, a fresh cup of coffee and some office time doing accounting for my business that I was late in completing.  Once I finished this most unfavorite task, I felt I would reward myself by suiting up and getting ready for some fresh air and rockin tunes for the next two-ish hours.

Foam rolling the legs and leg swings were first up.  Then, a quarter mile walk to warm up the legs a little more.  It was a chilly day today around 53 degrees so that walk was a brisk one.  Not much sun either.  Mostly cloudy.  A bit of a gray day for which I swapped out the dark lenses for the yellower ones from my sunglasses.

Immediately as I started running, I could tell that my pace was quick and my legs were loose.  Within the first half mile I was already under a 9 minute mile pace which is rare.  That pace was accelerated and I was in the groove.  As I passed the 4 mile point, I realized that I had been under the 9 minute mile pace for every one of them.  I knew at that moment I had a shot at a 10K PR and felt great.  The legs were turning free and easy so I kept it up knowing that the last mile is one that includes a solid hill climb.

I sailed down the last negative grade before the hill trying to make up as much time as possible before the climb began.  In fact, every mile except for the last one ranged between 8:35 and 8:47.  That last mile was a 9:35.  We won’t talk about the miles after that as I ran another 6 for a total of 12.

Altogether, it was a new 10K record of 55:09 with an average mile pace of 8:52.  Must have been those new Wattie Ink shorts I got from their factory sale!