SIMPLY WONDERFUL

It was an amazingly beautiful day today. And I'd say this even if it wasn't February. Or in Iowa.

It must've been around 60 degrees and it felt just like spring. Of course that meant I spent most of the day looking longingly out the windows. When I finally got outside, birds were singing, the sky was blue, and I didn't feel cold in my shorts. Simply wonderful.

I ran 5 miles after school with one of my friends on the team. She's pretty fast but she didn't train over the winter so now my easy runs feel fast to her (which secretly makes me feel awesome). I had to go a bit slower than I usually do but I was happy to run with someone else. I did feel like running extra fast so it was kind of a letdown and I even thought about running a couple more miles after we were done, but decided against it because I don't want to overdo it the week before track. We stretched outside after our run and I later played volleyball with my dad though, so I still could enjoy this fabulous weather. If it would have been less windy I might've even done my homework outside.

The temperatures have certainly had an effect on my training. Our run was at a 8:36 pace and felt slow to me, but I've been having trouble getting under a 9:00 pace when it's 30 degrees or less. I wasn't sure if this was because I was out of shape or the weather. The miles seem to be paying off although I'll have to wait for track to start to see the full result. My run really boosted my confidence though and I can't wait for track to start so I can really see how fast I am.