Week 4: Nine miles

30:30 second run/walk ratio
2:28:12 hours
9.38 miles
15.8 minutes/mile

I'm visiting my friend in Monterey this weekend, so I ran along the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail again. Always fun to run here! It was supposed to rain this weekend, but at the last minute, the rain stopped and it was a very pleasant cool but sunny day for a nice long run. Nine miles took me out to Seaside, where the trail cuts back and under the freeway to head out along the beach. I turned back there, circled around the little lake/pond next to the freeway and back the way I came. Not before tripping on an uneven place in the sidewalk and taking a header, but it was a light fall, didn't even scrape my hand, and I was up and running again right away.

I took along 3 GU and ate two of them, at around 4 and 8 miles. I was close enough to home to have skipped the second one, but I'm trying to get into the habit of eating one at least every four miles no matter how close to the end I am, so I don't risk running low on blood sugar and screwing up my last mile or two. I felt like I kept up my pace pretty well, although I didn't bring my new running watch and couldn't time splits. I know I slowed down on my last mile — that's when I turn up David St and have some pretty steep hills to climb to get back to my friend's house. I kept up my running intervals, but slowed down quite a bit.

I brought a scoop of protein powder with me, but forgot to bring soy milk, so I mixed it with part of a bottle of aloe drink I had left over from the drive here, to drink before I started out. Tasted pretty good! And kept me going for the first hour or so. The temperature was in the low 60s. I wore long leggings, long-sleeved tee-shirt, and my running hoodie. I took the hoodie off after the first couple of miles and tied it around my waist. I could have done without it altogether, but it didn't hurt to have it along.

I also had new running shoes! I bought another pair of Nike Free 5.0's online, in bright safety green (Volt, they called it). They didn't have size 9's so I got 9.5. I had been thinking my toes were slightly cramped in the 9's anyway, and thought 9.5's might fit me a bit better, and I was very pleased with the way they fit. So yay!

All in all, a good run.