10 miles, walk breaks & soggy shoes

I left the house this morning thinking I would attempt a 10mile out and back style run so that in the event I don't feel so good I can turn around at any point and shorten up the run. I knew that going from 3 to 5 to 10 is a little extreme, and I'm sure I would get a stern talking to from Dr. Martin if he found out, but I really need to get my long runs longer! So, I did it anyway. I didn't run through any pain, I didn't push hard, I didn't run hills or bridges, I was good. My run was good too....except for the torrential down pour I got caught in at mile 7. I got home completely soaked, but it was fun! I averaged 10min miles, and now its a few hours later, I still feel fine! This is huge for me. I'm so tired of being hurt, it felt great to go for a run with no repercussions.

I found one thing that really helped my running both mentally and physically, was to take walking breaks. I read about it in Runner's World. I'm sure all the hardcore runners out there are thinking yeah whatever if you're walking then you're not actually running 10miles. Well...I have been reading about the recovery benefits walking breaks give you, both during and after the run. Also the mental aspect of running a time then getting a break, it makes any distance more manageable. Today I ran 15min and walked 1min for the whole 10miles. If you think about it, in an Iron distance race, you'll be doing that anyway to stop at aid stations, so why not get used to it now. I was able to hold my pace easier for the distance, instead of slowing down, your body gets a chance to absorb the work its doing, your brain has something to focus on, its all good!....try it!