Hoping for no headwind!

Today's run was definitely interesting. I was doing an easy 9-miler -- but 'easy' is a relative thing. I was targeting 8:30/mile -- which should be easy. But the first 3 miles were anything but. My first mile as at 8:40 and I was working. I was eventually able to get it down to 8:27 and 8:26 for the next two miles, but it was like I was pushing a small car in front of me with every step.

As soon as I turned on my route so that I was perpendicular to the wind, it was like someone had turned off the hurricane. My pace picked up sufficiently that I had to rein myself in again. The next two miles were at 8:21 and 8:29.

Now I started heading home with the wind at my back and banged of 8:26s for the next three miles, and then finished strongly with an 8:35 mile -- which included about 20 seconds of chatting with Jenny and Tori who passed me on their way to Ilderton. So, really, I was doing more like an 8:15 mile.

The 'lesson' from this run is that if I am faced with a headwind, I'm sunk before I start -- at least as far as hitting my BQ. Here's hoping for no headwind!