Is this for real?

Over the past few months, I have thought and rethought my decision to run at least a mile a day for various reasons. At the beginning of the year, I thought it may possibly be a bad idea because I wondered how much rest I was providing my body. Then I began to think it would be a good idea, and I would try to beat my mile time and try to become a faster runner. Then I again began to second guess the decision, as my mile time increased, but my distance times decreased and became harder.

But I guess persistence pays off...or something like that. Ted and I ran a 4-mile race this weekend. It was a smaller race, with my age group consisting of about 10 other runners. It was a hilly course, and quiet. The race ended coming up a long hill, with the finish immediately at the top. Ted finished ahead of me, and was cheering me on.

The time was 36 minutes.

36 minutes!? For 4 miles? Are you kidding me? That's exactly what I asked Ted as I ran by. Actually, I think it was something more along the lines of "This clock is so off".

The time got my fourth in my age group and a PR that shattered my other times. The time was amazing--I normally would have done it in 41 minutes, give or take. (Especially since our pre-race dinner consisted of nachos, hot dogs, and soft pretzels at the Phantoms hockey game Friday night).

So now I am crediting my A-Mile-A-Day philosophy, and running the mile with a renewed energy. My mile last night clocked in at 6:55/mile. Granted, it's a pace that I couldn't keep up past the mile point, but I'm doing it and I couldn't be more pleased.