4 Miles to Ice Cream

We were about a half mile into our 1 hour and 45-minute long run this morning when I looked down and noticed on the road was spray painted "4 Miles to Ice Cream."  Too bad it was for traffic going in the other direction.  Not that I guess I wanted any.  It was really cloudy and the temperature was reasonable at around 55 degrees, but sometimes it was both windy and rainy.  At one point I was so wet my shirt was stuck to me like a second skin.  And when we finished I was cold and drenched.

Overall though, the run was really good.  I was a little concerned about my right achilles flaring up, but it never did.  It was a little tender the first few miles - especially on the hills - but after a brief stop to stretch and eat a Gu pack it seemed to soften.  And hours later at the time of this post it really isn't bothering me.  Still, I will ice it down tonight and take some Advil to keep it at bay.

Our pace was a respectable 8:29 average per mile, and while I was tired at the end I still felt like I had more in the tank.  I found that to be surprising since it capped a 35-mile week.  Maybe the increased mileage and intensity is paying off after all.

Nothing out of the ordinary occurred during today's long run, which is unusual in and of itself.  No dogs charging at us, no frogs falling from the sky, and no equipment malfunctions.  Just an honest effort and some good conversation along the way. Who could ask for more?