Best day this season

This morning I woke up planning on starting early and ending early so I would have time to study before my class at 4:00. I woke up early as planned but I heard the rain pouring outside...lame. I looked up the forecast and saw that it probably wouldn't be raining much longer so I studied first.

I got started with my run at about 10:30 and immediately felt amazing. I could tell it would be a good day from the start. I was planning to do a route that I planned would take about 2.75-3 hours that would take me over the Nickel Bridge, down Riverside drive, past some big building, over some bridge downtown, up to the Governors mansion, over the Belvedere bridge, back up Riverside drive, past the Nickle bridge to finish Riverside Dr. and back to my house.

I was cruising from the start. When I got to the end of the downtown bridge I decided to include an extra 2 or so miles that would include the Flood Wall and loop back over the downtown bridge for a second time. I was feeling strong and quick, my stride was sure, and the temperature was perfect. It was in the low 70s and the slight breeze caused the golden and red leaves to blow all over the still soaking street causing the normally black, and unattractive street to even be colorful. Normally, the phrase "beauty in death," doesn't evoke the most common emotion, but today, it could not have been more fitting to describe all the leaves.

After finishing the Belvedere Bridge I killed the only GU I had brought and chased it with a good serving of water. I looked at my watch just curious to see what time it was and I couldn't remember if I had stopped it at any point and forgot to start it again. I was going much quicker than I had originally planned. Riverside Drive seemed to be completely engulfed in a golden and red tunnel that turned everything the same color.

It's a bit funny to see the "seasonal" runners out there today. I went during a time when a lot of people should have been at work or class. Mid-day on a Wednesday is not when you go out for a run expecting to see half the neighborhood out there. But being the kind of day it was, I must have seen around 30 other runners. Strange sight.

Crossing over Boulevard where I would later turn back to cross the Nickel bridge again I was in the final section of my run and was still feeling fresh. This section of Riverside Dr. is especially hilly and usually where I make my decisions late in my runs to "just keep moving." Not today. Today the downhills were opportunities to go faster with no more effort. Today the uphills were an opportunity to work in some speed and hill training as a bonus. Today just worked.

Rolling back over the Nickel Bridge I was almost home. Upon reaching the last half mile or so I picked up the pace and just enjoying the day. I stopped my watch at 2 hours and 1 minute and 15 seconds. Good day.

...now back to studying...