Going with the flow - plus a new achievement

The world conspired to limit my mileage last week.  Thunderstorms and a visit from my parents limited last Sunday's run to 4 miles.  Then a last minute trip to Florida limited Friday's run to 2.0 miles...

…2 miles barefoot up and down the beach.  Pensacola beach was fine white sand which made if very difficult to run on.  I did a 10 min mile down the beach and then turned and ran back into the wind at a 12 minute mile.  I finished with large blisters on my big toes and a couple smaller ones on some of my other toes.  The amount of effort it took to run those miles in what was practically quicksand was surprising.  I got just about no rebound off each step so had to use my full muscle force to propel each step.  I am pretty confident that running on the beach once a week would make you incredibly strong and damn near injury immune (assuming you didn't get injured from the initial efforts of running on the beach as the muscles built).

With the blisters I was worried I'd really screwed myself up.  But I popped them Friday night after I got back home from the trip and by Saturday I was walking okay.  And by Sunday I was ready to run.

Finished the week with 19.28 miles (plus some really easy running with Maya).

Then hit the road strong on Sunday for an easy long run.

11.04 miles

1:32:12 

8:21 min/mile

Got on the road early to avoid projected thunderstorms.  Tried to start at an easy pace and landed at 8:23 for the first mile.  Gravitated between 8:20 and 8:35 for the first 8 miles (averaging 8:28 pace).  Then finished with a 8:04, 8:09, 7:53 last 3 miles (8:02 pace).  Felt a bit off the first 5 miles.  My right hip/back/groin were a bit tight... potentially from the beach running/blisters.  I just kept focusing on keeping good form and eventually everything loosened up and I felt better and have been feeling better since.  

New distance and duration achievement!