12+ miles @ ~10.2 min/mi

CM Manlandro has on her magic tights, and even I am wearing leg coverings for the first time this year—plus two pairs of pants, two shirts, cap, and gloves—as dawn breaks and we set off from Boundary Bridge toward the National Zoo along Beach Drive. We're reprising our Zoo Run of four months ago (cf. 2008-08-09 - Lost and Found), which we managed in ~11.7 min/mi. Today is crisp, temps in the 20's as the sun rises. I doff and don my hat to control my temperature as we ramp up the pace and as the wind blows and pauses. On the outbound leg we control the pace ("I could do this forever!") and the push it on the way back ("This hurts! Everywhere!") There are plenty of other runners and walkers out in spite of the chill, but few other animals. Our average for the first half is about 10:40 min/mi but we make 9:50 min/mi for the second, pulled down by doing ~9.5 min/mi over the final three miles. Good work, CM!

^z - 2008-12-09