When it comes to running,

When it comes to running, let’s just say I don’t have the smartest instincts. I don’t eat all that well, don’t hydrate very well, and don’t run consistently enough to really improve my speed. But my very unscientific method is ok for me. It gets me where I need to be and I’m happy with that.
Last weekend I ran the 10K, which was my longest race since the spring. This weekend I planned to do 7-8 miles, and met up with June, Cassie and Erica at Memorial Park early this morning. I knew that June was going 13, but when she told me via email last night that she was going to do 5/1s (that’s 5 minutes of running followed by 1 minute of walking, and repeat), I had my first inkling that I might just end up going farther than 7 miles.
I don’t really know why I did it, but I ended up sticking with June and Cassie the whole way. I was totally not prepared — no fuel belt, no gu — but Cassie had an extra gu, June had an extra bottle of Gatorade, and there were plenty of water fountains. I did take a pit stop at the Doubletree downtown to, ahem, use the facilities, which left me about .5 miles short of those two in the end (I turned around when they caught up to me after having turned around at the convention center).
My foot pod isn’t the most accurate thing, and I haven’t calibrated it, but Google pedometer says I ran right around 11.1 miles, give or take a tenth. 11 miles! I haven’t gone that far since January. Total time (subtracting my bathroom break) was about 2:25, or right around a 13:00/mile average pace.
At that relaxed pace, I felt really good through about 8 miles. During the last 3 miles, I got reacquainted with a feeling I haven’t experienced since my one marathon — the aching, persistent soreness in my joints as they swell with the stress of going farther than they have in a loooong time.
Some Advil when I got back to the car fixed that up though, and I’m now sitting at home not feeling all that bad. I have a feeling I’m going to be agonizingly sore tomorrow, but oh well. It was worth it to enjoy a long run with the ladies. Afterwards, Erica and I had breakfast with Vic, who did 13 this morning.
My running friends are cool.