Global Running Day

I don't typically pay over-much attention to Global Running Day because it just seems so forced. It's not something that I need for the motivation to do my run (assuming it isn't otherwise a scheduled rest day), though I recognize that some people need that kitschy rationale to finally get off the couch, lace up the sneakers, and do a run - whatever the distance.

Today my plan called for doing 6 miles "as you feel" -- meaning that the pace was unimportant, but was also not supposed to be a strenuous pace (as those are several of the other days in any given week). So, rather than bother with setting a single pace on the treadmill in the air-conditioned gym, I decided to brave the high heat (it was about 85F when I got onto the path) and run without paying attention to the time displayed on my watch. The goals: 1) maintain an even effort across the whole distance, making the obvious adjustments for the hills, 2) keep it a comfortable pace (don't push, especially because of the heat), and 3) look to stay within 8:30 - 9:00/mile, and not exceed 9:20/mile. Why the 9:20 limit? I'll be pacing at that speed for the 12-Mile training run that NYRR is hosting in mid-August. Being able to stay well under that speed without even trying and in this heat is very encouraging. I definitely need to repeat this multiple times until then so that I am reasonably acclimated, as I expect it will be pretty toasty in Central Park in mid-August, even at 7am.