9 miles and feeling good

9 miles. Wow. I did it and I did it in decent time. It was about 80-86 and sunny while I was running. Luckily there was a nice breeze. I started at the footbridge by the river in Hyde Park and ran 4.5 miles toward the dam. My turn around point was a beautiful spot just before the dam. There were fishermen down the river, it was a little piece of paradice. There was a picnic table which makes me desire to go back for a picnic! That would be a good date for Mike and I. I took a photo while I was taking a quick break. The run back to my car was where I felt the burn. I did a good job at coaxing myself to pick up the pace and keep running. I ran during each mile, only allowing myself to walk briefly to catch my breath before pushing myself faster again.

Yesterday I ran 2 miles and went to 2 Yoga classes at Open Studio Yoga. Frankie came with me for one of my miles. During the next several weeks I am planning to bring Frankie on more runs. I'd like for him to be with me when I run on the trail sometimes, especially when I run in the evening. Maybe taking him on two miles each morning would be a good start. 2 miles is just enough to wake me up but not enough to create a huge time commitment. He needs to get out more, to work out that English Cocker Spaniel energy and potential for rage. He plays with the squirrels every day running back and forth along the fence line but he needs more exercise. I will need to work more short runs into my schedule anyway to help me keep my weekly miles up while also getting everything else done. If I am going to maintain 20 miles a week and still reach for my half marathon goal I will need to be creative with my time.

My goal during this term is to run 20 miles a week until I run my half marathon. I can train myself to wake up at 6 am everyday but any earlier is not going to happen. My Sunday Long Runs absolutely have to be outside. Since my race will be outside I will need to make sure I am used to the various climates. My plan of the moment is to run a Half Marathon in December here in Pueblo. This means I need to develop tolerance for running in the cold weather.
This will be a time of upping my game and pushing myself I do things I don't immediately want to do. Time to wake up earlier than I wish. Windy? Get your butt out there! Snowing? Get that butt moving! 6am and cold? Too bad! Lol, we'll see how it goes but I think I can manage to keep my miles up for the most part.

*Fingers Crossed*

4.5 miles in at my turn around point