9 Mile Saturday

This past Saturday found me getting up early again for a 9 miler with HF.  It was another hot, humid, sticky day here in Houston. The sun was up by the time we started, but at least there was a slight breeze. My two buddies were out this morning as well. We started off at a great pace, chating and enjoying all the beautiful houses in River Oaks. It was really a highly uneventful course and run. We ran up the hill at mile 14 of the Houston Marathon and I listened to the girls rehash how they felt at the time. All I could think of was that it was good training for SF. I felt great going up the hill, but the other side brought us the water stop and the turn around. 5 miles were complete. I took at GU here and restocked on water, then started to tredge up the hill again. The second time was much harder than the first. I really think my legs were enjoying the rest they had, but I had to push through and tell them who was in charge.  The rest of the course was flat, but the sun was getting hotter and hotter. I have to say that I do kind of love running through the neighborhoods in the early morning because the sprinklers are on. A little cool water on our legs felt so great! In true tradition, with a mile left to go, I sprinted to the end. It was a great sprint - I still had quite a bit left in my legs and I'm feeling really good about my half marathon coming up in a month. We followed up the run with some pushups, stretching, and tough core work. All in all, not a bad way to start a Saturday!

This coming week brings me more hill training, my hubby going off to South Africa for 2 weeks, and an 11 miler at home by myself. It'll be a pretty hard week, but I think I'll make it through. Happy running!