What a difference a week makes

Last week my long run was a stinker. What a difference today! Today marks the pinnacle of my "peak week", the longest and hardest I'll train between now and the next race. (Surf City Half on February 7th!) We had a 15-miler on the schedule and it entailed not just one, but TWO loops up Soquel Canyon in Chino Hills. This is a long stretch of a fairly steep grade...parts are upwards of 10% and the total ascent is 180 feet, according to one topographic map I looked at. It's a killer hill, but we killed it twice! It was a great run, plenty of sunshine and I felt spectacular all the way through to about mile 12, when I realized I'd pushed my pace pretty hard and I was starting to feel tired. I backed off the speed, and managed to finish in 2:52, which is only a few minutes behind my Long Beach half finish time!My "official" mile tally looks like it only ended up being 14.5, but I'm okay with that.

I ran today with the new Nike+ Watch Remote that Mike gave me for Christmas. It rocks!! I can control my iPod without having to contort myself to see it on my arm, AND I can pause my workout with just a touch of a button. (Very convenient for water stops and traffic lights!) I can also get instant verbal feedback on my distance, pace and time with a touch of another button. I am quite happy with this little gadget, but I will probably wear the battery out quick if I keep checking my pace and distance as often as I did today!

Post-run, I'm feeling a little sore and tired, and the second toe of my left foot looks like I might have another hematoma. Well, I didn't like the looks of the toenail that was growing back there, anyway. Overall, I am really thrilled to say this was my longest run to date and I am very happy with how it went! Definitely a HUGE improvement over last week's run. And now it's TAPER TIME!!