I had an absolutely fantastic time running last night and just had to share. It was one of those runs that my finish time doesn’t exactly reflect how I felt while running. Since I run on the weekdays in the city, I face that fun obstacle of the traffic light. If I hit many of them, it can add several minutes to my overall time. There is a great 3.10 mile loop around my apartment which I really like running. In the second mile, there are a lot of traffic lights. So, that mile time is typically my slowest. What made last night so great is that I feel like I’m starting to gain some control over pace. The last two times I’ve run this route, actually, I’ve been able to have my fastest mile be the last. It’s in the last mile that I ditch the 1:1 run/walk ratio and aim for specific landmarks. So, my run intervals typically last longer than 1 minute and most of the walk breaks are for less than 1 minute. It feels good to run for a minute, 20 seconds, stop at a stop light for 30 seconds, and then run for another minute 15 seconds, stopping to walk in order to check your distance. I also love it when I can just enjoy the music on my playlist instead of hoping the seconds will go faster so I can walk again. Last night I was also able to just enjoy the feeling of the wind, cool temps, and smiling and waving at other runners passing by. What can I say? You can’t stop the beat…or this runner.

By the way, I’ve been reminded that the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend starts in 100 days! Happy training!