Lovely Saturday run (with a side of bacon)

It was the perfect day for it--sunny, low to mid-30s, and for once in my life I was actually well-rested, it kind of gave me a glimpse of how much my training (my life!) would benefit if I could get more sleep on a regular basis! Bliss!

Ran over to meet training partner L. at Tavern on the Green, then took off north together to do a five-mile-plus clockwise loop. Ran into D. around 86th St.--D. and L. and I were always running as a threesome when we first started with Coach Mindy's advanced beginners group in the summer and fall of 2006, D. is the fastest of us naturally but doesn't mind adjusting for company--and we had a rather lovely and speedy bit over the northern hills (not reflected in my mile splits, but it felt very enjoyable). D. is doing the Manhattan half next weekend, so that will be fun, we will get a bite to eat afterwards...

L. and I peeled off at the 72nd St. transverse and ran back uptown to our preferred brunch spot at 84th and Columbus. I owed her a birthday meal, having had to skip her actual birthday party due to various impossible other obligations--this was unglamorous but delicious, and included a side each of perfectly cooked bacon...

8.78 mi., avg HR 153, avg pace 10:00 (but the distances are running short of reality, I must recalibrate--it was probably nine and a bit really)

10:25 (148), 10:00 (152), 9:29 (152), 10:10 (148), 9:56 (149), 10:00 (155), 9:59 (159), 9:40 (159), plus incomplete ninth mile (156)

Puts me in a frame of mind to race next weekend rather than simply running it! No reason not to--I'll see how it goes--won't beat my Philadelphia time, or even probably come near it, but I might be able to do 1:56ish, we will see.

The Bronx half is only two weeks later, so I'll definitely do that one as a training run. The Brooklyn half is April 26, three weeks and a day before the Florida race, so that will be very decent as one last hard fast long run and then start tapering afterwards. It is a nice thing about the half-marathon distance that you do not really need much recovery time...