Ran 12.5 miles @ 8:06 mile pace, including 5.0 miles @ 6:53/mile pace.
Paved road (bridge).
Very flat, sans one hump in the bridge.
Weather: Upper 70s, partly cloudy, very humid.
Yesterday morning's run in Maine, 23 degrees. Today's run in Tampa, 78 degrees and very humid. The difference was quite a shock! The run took place at the Gandy Bridge which traverses the bay and connects Tampa and St. Petersburg. There's a separate bridge for runners, roller bladers, walkers, whatever... so long as it doesn't have a motor, therefore it's a nice place to run.
I ran across and back the first time with my brother at a 9-something mile pace. The heat felt immense, and I developed side stitches after just two miles. During that time, I also became drenched in sweat.
Once we returned, I did another out and back on the bridge alone while my brother had enough and opted to wait. I shot for marathon pace (7:10), but went too fast. However, I was able to hold the pace and hit my splits at 6:49, 6:51, 6:57, 6:51, and 6:55. With not being properly acclimated to the heat, it was pretty tough. I did a couple more miles as a cool down and called it a day. Good run. Tomorrow should bring my weekly total up to 80+ miles. I'm going to start incorporating more MP runs next week. It might mean a little less mileage for the weekly totals, but hopefully not too much. Next week will give me a better idea.
