Good morning tempo run...

I did 9 miles this morning -- aiming for 4.5 miles at a long run pace (5:11/k, 8:20/mi.) and the 4.5 mile return at 4:40/k (7:30/mile). It was a good morning for a run -- 10 degrees C -- but there was a fairly stiff breeze coming from the north. So for the slow part of the run, I ran into the wind and then had it at my back for the first 4 kilometres of fast-paced running.

My left ankle was bothering me again at the start of this run. Fairly sharp pain on the outside of the ankle -- almost as if it was getting bruised by the upper edge of my running shoe. But after two miles, most of the pain had gone away. And by the end of the run, I could hardly notice anything.

Here are my kilometre splits:
5:18
5:07
5:01
5:00
5:06
5:10
5:05
5:01 (300 m.)
4:40
4:40
4:39
4:37
4:37
4:37
4:28
4:21 (200 m.)

I was particularly pleased with the last 1.2 kilometres since they were done facing into that brisk north wind. And yet I was able to pound out my best times of the run. (Mind you, I had been conserving, knowing that was going to be a tough leg.)

Average pace for the entire run was 4:52/k -- target marathon pace! So we'll chalk this up as another good run!