4.5 miles!

Today's long run was 4.5 miles - and I did it!

I've been doing some thinking about that whole "runner's high" thing...I would think that by now I would hit it, but apparently haven't. I always heard that once you hit it, you can just keep running forever. Riiiiight. Well, I kind of think I've experienced that now, both during last week's long run (4 miles), and today. I wouldn't exactly call it a "high," but kind of a plateau where the run stops getting increasingly difficult.

It's not this euphoric, pain-free state. When I first started running, at the end of each run I was DYING. I felt that way even at the end of my first 5K two months ago. It's very different now. I'd say the first 2 miles are the worst part of my run, but then I just hit a point where I can power forward. It still is a uncomfortable, since y'know, you're running a shitload, but not nearly as painful as my runs used to be and I don't feel like my heart is about to beat out of my chest. In fact, these past two long runs I felt like I could have kept going at least another half mile. The distance hits me about an hour or two later, when I get tired and can really feel that I just burned like 700 calories!

Now I'm excited to run a 10K in two months, because I'm already so close!