I did it! 7 miles done!

I ran 7 miles! I was sooo happy to be done! Overall, I'd say it was a great run. I didn't have any major pain, and I was pretty tired by the end, but not completely wiped out. It was a bit boring to run back and forth on my street (one way is 0.25 miles), but I listened to my iPod, so that kept me going.

The weather was okay! It was about 35 degrees with a light wind that picked up towards the end. I actually had to take my gloves off because they were too warm. I wore an UnderArmour shirt, a long sleeve shirt, and an Old Navy hoodie. I also wore a winter hat and put the hood up. I sweat a lot when I run, and I was afraid my neck would get cold. I wore Cuddl Duds pants under my sweat pants, but I probably would have been fine without the Cuddl Duds. I've worn just sweat pants when it was in the 20s. My legs don't really feel cold when I run. I was a little warm (I don't like to be too hot when I run), but mostly I was pretty comfortable.

One thing that I didn't anticipate was black ice. The road had a light glaze of ice on it, and some of the sidewalks were a little icy. I didn't slip or fall (thank God), but every once in a while I could feel my foot slide a little when I pushed off. I had to take it very slow and careful.

Because of the ice, my pace was a little slower than usual. I estimated that it would take me 30 intervals (2 min. run/1 min. walk) to complete 7 miles, but it actually took me 35 intervals. I love that my Garmin Forerunner 405 keeps track of my intervals, but it was hard for me to hear the beeps with my hat, hood, and iPod. I had to keep a close eye on my watch so I didn't miss my cues.

The thing I love the most about run/walk intervals is that I finish so strong! On my last running interval, I really pushed myself to keep a good pace. It makes me feel so good to be able to keep proper form and finish strong, instead of shuffling my way back home. I used to get really tired when I ran without walking breaks. My form would suffer, and I had trouble picking up my feet when running. Thank God I never tripped and fell! I tend to be pretty clumsy, but I've never fallen while running (knock on wood, lol).

As I type this entry, I can hear rain hitting the window. I lucked out and beat the rain! It makes me feel so proud that I woke up at 6:00 am on a Sunday to run 7 miles. Of course, now I feel like going back to bed. :)

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Oh yeah, I should mention that I joined Tall Mom's 1000+ club. There are almost 300 runners who joined and will endeavor to run 1,000 miles in 2010! I'm counting walking and elliptical miles. I'm not sure if that's okay, but she did say that we could "run, walk, or crawl" our way to 1, 000 miles. Here's a link to Tall Mom's blog: www.tallmomontherun.com. I'm so happy to be part of this group! It's going to be a tough challenge for me, but I'm willing to give it my all.

Have a great Sunday!