5 miles (11/12/11)

My medium length run this week should have been 6 miles. I kept putting it off. Now I'm to the next to the last day of the week and my long run is tomorrow so I just kept it at 5.

Since I've been sore and my shoes have been bothering me, I set out with the idea that I'd run the first loop at 9 minute pace and the second loop at 9:30 pace.

After the first loop I was 8 seconds behind (according to my calculations but it appears I was 9 behind).  I ran the second loop trying to make up those seconds but to my revised splits. My goal went from 2:15 a quarter to 2:22 a quarter. (2:22 is 9:28 pace but 2:23 would have been 9:32 so I went with 2:22).

The run went pretty well.  I guess my goals were bad because my second loop I was faster than the first loop.  The first loop did have an additional hill because I didn't want to run by kids playing near the sidewalk so I headed down the street at first. 

I have noticed lately that the days I think I'll have a good run are the days my run isn't so good and vice versa.  Perhaps my goals are also adjusted but I always feel better when I have bonus seconds versus when I have to make up the time to hit my goal.

Sometimes I was just running along and I'd have a really good pace so then that motivated me to do better. So today the watch was good. Other days I look down and am highly disappointed so then I get demotivated and do worse.  I need to find a happy medium or figure out how to have the slower pace not demotivate me so bad.  Do you run with a Garmin? How do you get more motivated or more demotivated during a run? Do you have any tricks for me?

Currently I have a Garmin 110. Dave wants a Garmin and said he'd take mine that I have (even though it has a pink stripe on it to show it is the female version) and then I can get a new one.  I haven't done research yet so I don't know which one to get.  What type of Garmin do you have or do you want? What would you recommend for me and why? 

An hour before this run, I walked at North Park with Dave.