Dec 19 - p

FIT:
5.3 mi in 43:34 (8:13 pace... somehow gotta keep that up for a marathon... long way to go). Wore new Brooks Nightlife 1/2 zip w/ white UA underneath and Pearl Izumi mitts (likely a Gear Guide in the next couple months with more details. For now, I'll just say that I felt a lot safer during the run wearing these, knowing that it was much more likely that I'd be seen. Not to mention all the user-friendly features I'll go into in the future.

Since it was chilly, I could comfortably go at what felt like a fast pace - not that fast, it looks like, but probably ok when you factor in the amount of wet grass I ran on. I estimate a 60/20/20 ratio of grass/rubbertrack/asphalt. The track was harder than I remembered from the summer. The grass was super nice and squishy and felt the best to run on. When my knee (outer lower rt) wasn't doing so well, stepping off the track and into the grass would help. On the way there, no issues. On the way back, though (at a/b my usual 5k point time-wise), my knee would start nagging, but since there was a defined finish point (unlike the treadmill), I pressed on. The grass would help.

I was breathing hard from the start, but I was tired on the way back, and pushing through that was good for me, b/c it wasn't straining my injuries too much, just making my muscles and respiratory system adapt. I ate a Kashi Dark Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookie before the run without negative impacts.

Splits> 14:28 rubbertrack, 6:52 church, 7:10 rubbertrack, 15:02 parkinglot. I was slower on the way back, but it's not quite as bad as it seemes b/c of the downhill out and uphill back.

Knee was a bit achey after, but did best to stretch some barefoot in the p-lot (b/c my feet were hot - left wet footprints wherever I stepped b/c of the sweat - didn't expect that).

Oh yeah!!! This was the first time with the Stability insoles. Considering how well this run went, I'd say definitely not wosrse than the Arch Support version, and cheaper, too, now that I found a place with better prices (runningwarehouse.com - free shipping on top of good prices!).

Walking 15 blocks afterward aided recovery, I think. My butt wd've been hurting... my knees too, but it felt good to walk.