As my training schedule proceeds, I add miles to the schedule. The 30 minutes or 3 miles was easy, as Mountain Road is exactly that. When I added distance, it became a new game. I experimented with various options and then discovered something that I should have known already.
The first mile of any run is the 'get comfortable' part of my runs. My upper body relaxes during that time, my breathing becomes even and any struggle I have seems to settle down and I become more at ease and the run becomes pleasurable (yes, I said that).
Said another way "The first mile is a bitch". I don't like to say it that way and the truth is, that is how I was thinking about it.
One day last week, I tried starting my run on Stissing Road. That is the road that has the second German Shepherd. After getting my mace, I am not longer really frightened to run there. Anyway, I ran .4 miles up Stissing Road, to Animal Farm, turned around and ran back to the starting spot and the hit Mountain Road.
Here is the great part. That part of Stissing Road is flat. As I finished the first .8 miles, I noticed that it was not a bitch. I was in the rhythm of a great run and then hit the uphill grade of Mountain Road with gusto. My achilles was not screaming and I loved that run.
The next day, I tried it again - it wasn't a fluke. The next day, same thing. I am now beginning and ending my run with that portion of Stissing Lane.
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