Computational skills come handy when you train. Last week I had a run that I was supposed to run at my half marathon pace at 7:35 minutes/mile. When I reached the 1/2 mile mark, I though I was pretty fast, especially because the first half mile of this course is downhill. I saw my stopwatch showing 3:18, and I got terrified: 3:18 times 2 is 7:36, so I'm already slower than I should be, and this was only the downhill part! I better run fast!

I didn't realize my computational error until I reached the 1 mile mark, and I saw I did the first mile in 6:35. Meanwhile, I kept asking myself "Why is it so hard to run at this pace?". Needless to say, I couldn't keep this pace for 13.1 miles! But it did give me some confidence, that 7:35 could be feasible 6 weeks from now.

I paid the price on the following day: my longest run up till now with 8 miles. I ran early afternoon, the hottest part of the day, and it just got really hot here in Columbia. Temperatures in the high 80s, and I there was no shadow. I was really suffering, and I was badly dehydrated when I got home. I know this because I lost 6 pounds during that run. This is dangerous, I should be more careful. From now on, I'll do my long runs with a fuel belt (which I just ordered).

I'll start a mini-taper, because I run a 10K race on Saturday. I will try to run 45 minutes. At 7:14 per mile, it will be a challenge, but according to coach-math-magic, it is about the best time I should be capable of.