10 miles: it's not about the distance.

I had a GREAT 10-mile run this morning. Some of you might have noticed that I did not blog about my 8-mile run last week. Actually it was such a miserable run that I did not want to relive it by writing about it. I did manage to go all 8 miles, and that's all you need to know.

So, I was understandably a little nervous about today's run, especially since it was going to be in the mid-70s with 95% humidity by 6am. Also, I'd gotten a tetanus shot on Thursday morning and can still barely move my right arm, so I was afraid that would bother me too. But I got up early and was on the road by 6:30. It was raining on and off, and I got pretty wet during miles 2 and 3, but frankly, with 95% humidity, I was going to be drenched within a few miles anyhow. I was actually glad that it was rainy because even on a warm humid day, it makes a huge difference not to be running in the direct sun.

By the end of mile 2, I did not feel like I was in the throes of death, as was the case on last week's 8-miler. This seemed like a good sign. In fact, I seemed to sort of hit my stride around mile 4. Everything felt good and I wasn't having to work as hard as I physically could just to keep going. My poor sore arm didn't bother me. I stopped back at home after mile 6 to refuel and take some salt. Those last 4 miles were, well, not exactly easy, but really not that tough. My knees and feet were getting a little tired, but that was all. I was enjoying myself, and by the end, I felt like I probably could have run a couple more miles without too much difficulty. Now, post-run, I'm feeling completely fine other than slightly tired feet, not nauseous and/or wiped out as I sometimes do after long runs.

It took me 1 hour and 45 minutes, which is a 10-and-a-half minute mile pace -- not bad at all considering how much trouble I've been having. The moral of this run: it's not about the distance. Ten miles can be much easier than eight, even in crappy weather, if (a) you go out early enough to avoid being in the direct sun the whole time, and (b) you're feeling physically okay at the time you go out. I feel confident after today's run, which is a great feeling!

A minor concern: I have a small, persistent blister on the inside of my right heel. It's not causing me any pain so far, and my short midweek runs don't seem to bother it, but it expands its surface area a little bit with each long run. I'm concerned that it could cause trouble if it gets much bigger. Will have to look around for some good blister protection.