Elk Lake 10 km

I ran the 10km loop around Elk Lake yesterday for the first time.  I am so blessed to have such a beautiful place to run.  My run felt a bit hard at the beginning and I had to keep reminding myself that this was my long, slow run and to take my time and enjoy it.  I learned that I prefer to not listen to music when running outside.  I find it very distracting.  It is easier to pace myself when I can listen to my breathing and focus on my form.  The sun broke through the clouds around 8km.  I couldn't help but feel it came out just for me to light the last stretch of my run with radiance and beauty.  When I entered my first 10km last April, the TC 10km, I finished in 1 hour and 11 minutes.  My run yesterday felt much slower and more difficult.  I took a lot more walk breaks than I did last year.  I finished in 1 hour and 12 minutes.  This tells me I am getting faster and making marked improvements.  I am proud of myself for being so focused and working so hard.  I look forward to running the 10km loop and turning around and running it backwards - the day will come in my training that my long run is 20km.  Until then I bask in the glory of once around the lake!

"Our calling is where our deepest gladness and the world's hunger meet." Frederick Buechner