I was able to run my longest distance this year today. I went 5 miles in about 48 minutes. It was sort of humid, but no where close to wear it was when I did my 4.5 mile run last Saturday morning (then, it was 84 degrees and felt like 91 by about 8:30 when I finished). Even though I went a half mile further today than last week, I felt much better at the end.
I am on track to build up to the half marathon by the day of the race, which is all I can hope for. I have actually been running about 30 seconds per mile faster than my target pace in previous years. The last time I ran the half marathon, I hoped to run at about a 10 minutes per mile pace. So far this year, I have been running at around a 9:30 pace, and I haven't really been pushing myself (I have felt like I was just going at a comfortable pace).
I think I am going to shoot for a 9:45 pace for the race this year, at least as a goal. That would have me finishing at just under 2 hours and 8 minutes, which would be over 20 minutes faster than my previous races. With that goal, I think I will still finish better than my previous times even if I end up having to walk a little. For now, that is my goal. If I start doing significantly better on my long runs, or significantly worse (or if I get injured again), I may revisit it. Wish me luck!
