holy 8 miles, batman!

guess who ran 8.3 miles today!! actually, i ran 8 miles and walked a cool-down of .3. i always wondered how people who ran long distances had a clue how far they had run - can some people tell what a mile felt like? if so, i am certainly not one of those people, so i use mapmyrun.com. it's pretty wonderful, actually, because you can use the satellite function and highlight trails and stuff. i wouldn't have a clue how far i'd run without it.

8 miles is a lot, if you ask me. and while i was running it started raining - which actually just made me feel that much more hardcore of a runner. i didn't mind the rain at all. the only real issue while i was running continues to be my form. my PT and i talked about the correct form (i.e. arms, posture, leg and foot placement) and so i stress out about it a bit while running. i had a gait analysis a week or so ago, where my PT took a video of my walking and running and let me know what i can be doing to better focus my energy.

i have weak hips, which i described in a previous post, so i know i need to continue working on strengthening them for my half marathon. actually, i am going to go do my hip strengthening exercises right now and then go get ready for my ten year high school reunion. anyway, this weak hip business forces a bit of an overstep when running. another issue is that i bounce a lot in my stride rather than focus my energy forward. so all these things are on my mind as i run.

anyway, i am feeling mighty pleased with myself about this 8 mile stuff. i was mildly freaking out this past week at the idea of an 8 mile run, but i did it! and in the rain. :)