Is it true???

Has the sun turned blue? Have cows learned to fly? Can pigs talk?
SURELY something must have happened to make Anna post TWO days in a row!!!!

HA!
No, nothing except a really awesome 'long' run. I use quotes because 6 miles just doesn't seem 'long' to me after running 10 miles last fall, but according to my plan, its my 'long' run for this week. So saith Hal, so I do.

I was going to do this run tomorrow but the weather is going to be a little sketchy. Now, I have done 5 on the 'mill before, but I didnt want to push my luck and do 6, so I really wanted to run this one outside.
I mapped a new route and everything. I LOVE running in new places. How many of you drive around your city/town and notice where the sidewalks are? How often do you look around when you drive and think 'I would LOVE to run here'! Me? All. The. Time.
I actually love running on busy roads. I am sure the exhaust will kill me before too long, but to tell you the truth, I dont even notice. Which probably means I am too far gone already.
Order the headstone now.

Mar 6
6miles, 1hr 1min 19seconds (10:13 avg pace)... 35*, gear: headband, jacket, tech shirt, hydration belt, garmin, hydration belt, tunes, fila tights....I went out for my run at 3:45 after a FRANTIC afternoon of grocery shopping (got some good deals!), so that I could get HOME in time to get said run in, before dinner. I am REALLY starting to dig this afternoon/evening running! I did sacrifice a pair of gloves (thankfully the cheapie kind) and ALL my tissue to the road gods on this one as well. Boo.

I have been looking at the pace charts from McMillan and am a bit undecided as to what to do.
Ya see, last October 27th I ran an 'official' 5K race at 27:30. BUT on Thanksgiving Day, I ran a 5K at 25:30 (it was a virtual race, so I was the only runner) =) And I ran ALL. OUT. Like so out of control-gasping kind of running. I dont even think I would run that hard in a race, it was a bit embarrassing. So anyway, I typed both of those times in and printed out the 2 sheets that give me my training times. The 'endurance' times I get for the 25:30 race are all doable but the times under the 'stamina' have me a little scared. I just dont think there is any way I can maintain those paces for more than a mile, IF that! So I have been using the 27:30 sheet for my training runs.

However, today, on my long run, I tried to keep the pace NICE and easy and comfortable. When I hit the last mile, my pace was 10:05, and this route had a lot of good sized lengthy hills in it (that last mile had a .30 hill so I really held the pace back to make it all the way up). So I am wondering if I AM capable of those times on the 25:30 sheet...? Still nervous about it though.

BUT doing these hills on this run is making more confident that I can tackle the hills in the 1/2 I want to do in May (my first). Getting so excited for it!!

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Do you have certain routes you take all the time on your runs or do you mix it up a lot?
I have a certain route but will add extra little twists and turns sometimes to mix it up, my route depends on the distance I am running.

What training plan do you follow?
I'm a Hal lova' all the way.

Do you loathe down/up hills or love them?
I LOVE uphills, feels like I am REALLY doin' something! The downhills I hate, if I run them correctly I always feel a bit out of control and silly looking =)