#26

I learnt a new word at work yesterday:

Tide-mark(n): The fine line, usually around one's neck, separating skin of natural color and fake tan.

+++

Ran 5 miles this morning. It was still dark when I began at about 6:30, and I had to get my run done quick because I would only have had 20 minutes to cool down, have breakfast and get ready for work after that - another reason why I don't like running early in the morning. I did 3 sets of my usual loop (1.678 miles per loop) - the first in 12:20, the second in 12:00, and the third in 12:41, for an overall time of 37:01, passing the 5-mile mark at 36:34, averaging 7:19 per mile. The last mile was the hardest - not physically, but mentally; I could sense that my legs and heart were able to maintain that effort, but it was a bit of a struggle to convince myself to keep moving and cover ground, to either widen my stride, brisk-walk or run at a slower pace but still run - and not stop. If I ever needed a reminder of the importance of the mental aspect in running, today was it.

Still, I'm pleased. Very pleased. Especially since I didn't need to run thousands of miles to achieve that time. This experiment of "run short, run fast, then run long" is going well so far.