Long Run up to 11.1 Miles

My long run was supposed to be this coming Sunday, but with the impending winter storm, I had to move my long run up a couple of days. Today, I did an 11.1 mile run along the Keystone Trail here in Omaha. The run felt great, although my fingers did swell up a bit, and my right foot cramped up around mile 10. Other than that, no aches and pains, and even tonight, I feel pretty good, albeit a little stiff, but not really sore. The Lincoln Half Marathon is now just 4 weeks away, but I'm definitely getting more confidence that I'll be able to complete the full distance. In fact, I've registered for my second Half Marathon, the Rocky Mountain Half Marathon in Denver on June 14, and also plan to register for the Omaha Half Marathon on September 27, and the Kansas City Half Marathon on October 17. This running thing has certainly become addicting. It just feels good, so it's important to take advantage of the moment when you can. I was able to do the 11.1 mile run today at a solid 9:50 pace, so that's a great pace for someone who wasn't a runner just 11 weeks ago. In the coming weeks before my race, I plan to run 12, 13.1, then taper down to 8 or 9 miles the week before the race. While I have no plans of competing in any of these races, finishing strong is my main goal, and just to have some fun!