Long Run March 22 - 14 km

I got home from this weekend's long run a little while ago, and I'm feeling pretty good. The weather was about perfect - a little cool and breezy, with the sun peeking through the clouds just often enough to offer a little encouragement. The roads have dried up considerably in the last couple of weeks, making for a less stressful run. In fact, this is probably my first time out that I could classify it as a run - other times it was more of a shuffle, leap-frogging over frozen ground.
I felt fresh and motivated until about the 10k mark. This is usually where the hip pains start to set in, and they showed up right on time. However, this time I managed to figure out a way to focus and bring myself into a rhythm where the pains actually went away. (They were replaced shortly after with the irritation of a growing blister on my right foot - you win some, you lost some.) This was the first time I've taken along a bottle of Gatorade, and it definitely helped to keep my energy level up near the end. I even set a new time record for myself!
After a little stretching and a cold bath, a large helping of my sister's Easter bread, and a few lines of writing, I think I might be ready for a nap now.