The Best 11

I've had so much to do lately, but then again, who doesn't?  Lately, I've been going to bed an hour later than usual and I've felt the affects during the day, but especially with my running (it has been pretty crappy lately).  Last night I was determined to have a good run, looked at the forecast, and knew I had to run outside.  60-degrees and sunny...yes, please! 

Determined to prove to myself that I am still in shape after not running very many miles the past few weeks, I headed to my gym for a quick warm-up and then drove to my favorite path.  It is a 5.5-mile loop, relatively flat, and my favorite.  The result was me having the best long run I've ever done on my own that has not been a race.  11 miles in 1:23:29, a 7:35 average.  Pure bliss. 

On my run, I thought about a different thing each mile.  I had some thoughts about what I was going to focus on at the start, but then decided as I ran what I wanted to concentrate on in the following miles. 

The details/stats..fairly interesting how my mind influences my body.

Mile 1: 7:26 - how running distance is all about mental toughness
Mile 2: 7:25 - how fresh my legs felt after taking some time off
Mile 3: 7:20 - my previous half and upcoming half
Mile 4: 7:26 - my to-do list for the next two weeks
Mile 5: 7:32 - how wonderful the weather is today/how much I love spring weather
Mile 6: 7:51 - do I have Achilles tendinitis in my left leg? Why am I cramping?
Mile 7: 7:45 - my job...and the future
Mile 8: 7:38 - I ran by a blue house..who lives there? Do they like the fact that their house is baby blue?
Mile 9: 7:41 - my friend's recent engagement
Mile 10: 7:30 - how much I wanted this to be my fastest mile
Mile 11: 7:52 - cool down/thought about how much I had to get done in the next hour

Do you think about random things while running?  I feel like the miles go quickly when I do this.