13.1 miles.

This week is a "recovery" week, so my long run this morning was only 13 miles.  I went ahead and added the point 1 because I was curious to see how fast I could do the half marathon distance now that I've been doing a little bit of speed training.  I felt good when I woke up (before the alarm) at 4:50am.  I did a little dynamic stretching, had a bit of Diet Coke, got my gear on and headed out the door, excited to listen to the new songs I added to my playlist just for today's long run.  I continued to feel good for the first 6-7 miles, and I could tell that I was going at a good pace, though not too sure I could keep it up and wanting to be strong at the finish.  After reaching the half-way point and turning around, there was a very strong headwind and the temperature seemed to drop to about 40 degrees.  Being dressed in shorts and a tank, I was freezing and I felt like I was being pushed backwards.  I didn't let it slow me enough to walk, but it definitely made my leg muscles work harder and I was feeling crampy in my legs.  At some point during the second half of my run, I also started feeling the "urge" - I needed to go to the bathroom.  I almost, and I do mean almost, called my hubby to come get me, but when I would glance at my Garmin and see that I was on pace to have a decent time overall, I decided to just hold it in and push through the last few miles.  In the end I finished the 13.1 miles in exactly 2 hours and 27 minutes, a best time for me at that distance.  Now I feel like the pain was worth it. :)