My dorky runner face

Hey guys! So there are tons of pictures of me on the internet, most of them in costumes or historical garb, mostly with a lot of makeup or costume stuff and great lighting (i.e. here: http://www.faerie-queen.com/) But now, I bring you the first online photo of me as a runner! Yay! No makeup, no glam, just dorky me ready for a workout. (:
This is before and after a run.

4.25 miles

4.25 miles! I still managed an average 8:41/mile pace. I'm getting pretty comfortable with this approximate pace (okay, comfortable might not be the best word, but consistent when I run hard!) I probably need some more speed work if I want to become competitive in my age group in races. We're starting with 5K. I have a history with that distance (high school cross country!), but in general, I've always been more competitive the longer the distance (was best at 5K and worst at 400 meters). So I plan on entering longer races in the future, once I feel good about my pace for those distances. Half marathon by next year for sure!

4 Miles

Yay, I'm up to 4 miles! My boyfriend and I ran 4 miles together the last two days. We ended up hitting an average 10:07 pace the first day and a 9:50 pace the second day.

Today I ran 4 miles alone (with music) and hit an average 8:46 pace. My fastest for 3.5 miles was previously 8:45/mile, so I'm basically back on track, just with an extra half mile of jelly legs! This pace was always achieved alone with no talking. Talking makes it slower, of course, but it is also fun to run with someone.

Oh...so speaking of music, what songs do I listen to while running? Here is today's list:
Ladytron - Burning Up
Ace of Base - Beautiful Life
Boney M - Rasputin
Diverge - To Hell (Razed in Black Mix)
Ladytron - Sugar
Lords of Acid - Young Boys
Marilyn Manson - Fight Song
Nine Inch Nails - Gave Up
and during my cooldown, Nine Inch Nails - Happiness in Slavery

Back with a faster tempo and more distance

I had 4 days off this weekend because we were out of town. I last ran Thursday. I did 3.5 miles at an 8:45 pace. I tried to push myself a bit since I knew I would have so much time off.

I ran again yesterday. I got a really late start, so I knew I didn't have that much time to do a long run before dark. I tempo'd one mile out and crossed the line at 7:38, then came back the same mile at a 9:00 pace. 2 miles in 16:42 total, the fastest I've done yet!

Today I'm planning a longer run. I want to increase my long distance to 4 miles today, so I'll probably do something like a 9:15-9:30 pace the first time.