15.11 mi, 2:09:56 8:36 avg, elev gain 247 feet
Goal for today's run was 5-6 easy, 6-7 @MP, 2 miles easy, actual run was 6 miles easy, 6 miles @sort of/lower end of MP, 3 miles easy, run on "rolling hills".
Temp was high 70's at the start, not quite as early as I wanted 7:45 (would have liked 6:30 or earlier). Dropped off a small cooler outside my office. Headed out from Westlake neighborhood on Alderman, across US19 until it turned into Highland lakes, did a short out and back in Cobb's Landing taking me near Lake Tarpon, then continued on to my office for fresh cold drinks and ice.
Next, ran out and back in the reverse direction, into a different entrance to Cobb's landing. The first mile I was having trouble getting to the 7:30ish pace I wanted and thought I'd just ease into it and ended up with 7:48, then I got a little slower at 7:56, and then I was in the 8:20's but knew I was going uphill and could get faster on the downhill, finished that mile at 8:01. Turned around at about 3.5 miles from my office, coming back up a hill from Lake Tarpon. But, I did not slow down, just kind of held the pace and finished that mile at 7:57, continuing on got the next mile at 7:59. This was not going as planned. I didn't feel like I was dying or anything, legs just werent turning over like I wanted. So I decided it would be 6 miles instead of 7. The moment I did that, run felt easier and pace picked up with 7:35 for the last of the MP miles.
Made it back to the office, topped off from the cooler, then headed back to Westlake.
So, overall the run wasn't perfect, but it was the amount of miles I had planned and the easy-faster-easy pattern was there, just not quite as fast during the faster section.
After the run, headed out to Cocoa Beach for a quick overnight getaway. Drive was not too bad despite off and on rain and then there was off and on rain at Cocoa Beach but it was kind of nice and there were big waves to look at.
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