My weekly long run

On a warm Sunday afternoon with 93 degree temperatures, I did my planned long run for the week. Amazingly enough, I did not have to sacrifice speed while running 8.02miles. This was a good run. If the heat had not been there, I would have gone ahead and done 10 miles.

How easily I am able to run the first mile seems to determine what the run for the day is going to be like. If I struggle in the first mile, I will not be able to make up the time and recover a fast run.

As I was running along the Blackwater Creek trail for this run, I found myself coming into a stetch of the paved path where there was a steep incline on both sides, with one side being rock. About 75 yards ahead, a small deer stood eating the leaves off of a bush. I continued to run and the deer did not seem to even notice or care that I was getting close. I realized that she was not going to have anywhere to run unless she tried to go ahead of me. At about 25 years I slowed down and as I did so, she turned to watch me. I steadily walked towards her and got beside her within 6 feet. I stopped and we exchanged looks at each other. I put my hand out and she seemed to be entertaining the thought of coming to sniff my hand when bicyclers suddenly came into view for both directions. They both slowed down to watch, but the deer decided to use her long legs to start up the hill. This was certainly a fun moment in my run for the day.