High on a Mountain Top

Today I officially registered and paid for my 5K on Saturday, which cements the fact that I really am going to run the thing.  This afternoon, I was really excited about running, so I got online and dutifully mapped out a route that would be a bit more than a 5K for my workout today so that I could reassure myself that I could finish a 5K.

Google maps can be quite misleading as to terrain.  The route I took today was absolutely GORGEOUS, and I had never been running (or even driving) on a lot of the roads entailed before.  Not only that, but it worked out to 3.2 miles, which is almost perfectly a 5K distance.  The downside, is how much UP there was.  It was ridiculously uphill.  The first little hills were pretty tame, and pretty short, so I just took them at a slow jog, told myself encouraging things, and sucked it up.  Oh boy, but by the time I got about half-way up the hill, I hated my life.  I stopped twice to take pictures both because I couldn't believe how high up I had climbed and because I needed the rest.

This first picture is from almost the highest point of where I ran today - it was almost level with the Y on Y mountain.  Ridiculous.

This is after a slight downhill bit, looking DOWN on the Provo Temple. 

Pretty views, though.  I ran 3.2 miles in about 45 minutes, counting all the stops I took to complain to the mountains about how steep and ridiculous they were.

I feel great, though, and on my way home, one of my miles was in 11:06!  I've never run a mile that fast before!  So yes let us embrace this minor victory and remember to look at altitude when you're mapping a new run.