My Stop Watch, My Trusty Friend

This morning, I wore my stop watch and ran 2.26 miles in 26:39 minutes, which averages out to 11:48 min/mile!!!! Well, I kind of expected (well, actually hoped) that my time would improve from Tuesday's run because I only ran 2 miles today. But, this is still good because now I feel more comfortable about being able to maintain an average pace of at least 14:50 min/mile for the relay (that's the relay's requirement, for safety reasons). I was getting a little nervous about my actual pace for my 5-mile leg. My longest run so far has been 4.5 miles, and that took me 63 minutes to finish (14 min/mile =\), but I think if I wear my stop watch to pace myself better, and drink plenty of water and load up on carbs the night before, I think I'll be okay. Plus, I think I'll be running on a good dose of adrenaline during the relay.

So, my stop watch helped. I'm pleasantly surprised because I thought it would be a huge distraction, in the same way that treadmills distract me ("ugh, one MORE quarter-mile.. ten MORE minutes of this agony... ").. I guess what I really hate about treadmills is that they're boring and are usually placed in environments that aren't very stimulating. I just feel like a hamster on a wheel. ... So, back to what I was saying - my stop watched helped, so I'll wear that at the relay. One note though - I think I need to remember to take it easy and remember to breathe properly. When I'm aware of the time ticking, I can easily push myself too hard and overdo it. This morning, I felt my sides almost cramping up, which is something I definitely don't want happening this weekend.

Alright. I'm ready! =)

P.S. We won the hallway decorating contest!!!