7 miles.

my seven mile run in grand rapids on saturday went better than expected. i finished in 1:10:38 (9:51), which is a minute or two longer than i had hoped, but considering all the hills i don't have in detriot, i'm pretty pleased.

the first thing that i want to do is thank my parents for meeting me at 5 miles and giving me water. that made a huge difference in my ability to finish strong. i really needed the water at that point. and i was glad they could see what distance running looks like for me. i think it is now very real for them and not just something that i talk about.

for those who know the area where i grew up, nearly half of the run was along thornapple river drive, between cascade road and buttrick ave. even though i know it's not even 3 miles, it's still kind of inconceivable to me to run this road. i know how long it takes to drive it, and it feels like a really long distance in my mind. just for that i think the run was a success.

the other thing that has me optimistic is how fresh i felt afterward. i rested for about ten minutes after the run and then stretched, and i was fine for the rest of the day. i tracked my pulse (thanks, steve, for the HRM watch!) throughout the run, and i kept it between 165 and 170 almost the entire time. i did hit 180 at the top of a big hill just over a mile from the finish. but the rest was very manageable.

i didn't cross train yesterday like i was supposed to, but i will be out on the bike today. i'm looking forward to it, though. my new bike is mostly pretty awesome, and it feels like it weighs about half of what my MTB weighs.

robb.