Farthest Run Evah!!

I keep starting to type one thing, then read it and think it's boring and erase it--seriously, I've done it like 12 times so far...same with commenting on blog posts...I don't know what it is about today! Maybe that it's my 24 hour shift (I'm 1 1/2 hours in and get done tomorrow at 9pm)..I dunno...Anyway, enough about my insecurities.

Today I woke up feeling like running, which was exciting! I got a new journal yesterday so that I could start recording my runs (suggested by Janae in her Running 101 post) So I got up, fed the doggies, got dressed, and headed out to the bike path. I'd decided to run 2.5 miles at least, and started out feeling really good. It was about 55-60 degrees with a light breeze--a little chilly but comfortable. The first mile was steady running, approximately 12:30. No pain. Usually I turn around and run the second mile back towards the car, but today I decided to keep on going. I just had the thought, "I got this" and kept running. I got to the half mile mark and turned around.
I wish I had brought my camera, because I saw the coolest owl! I have never seen one in real life (outside of nature preserves and places like that) and it just looked at me and watched me the whole way past! So no camera, but it looked like this:

It was beyond cool! So anyway, I kept running. And overall, I ended up running 3 miles, which is the farthest I've ever gone! It took me 39:21 (or close to that anyway) which dailymile told me was a 13:07 pace. So I AM improving! About midway through my second mile, I started having some soreness in my left shin, but it wasn't PAIN exactly, so I didn't feel like I needed to stop. My ankle (also the left one) got a bit sore as well. I figure that there will be soreness, and it's because I'm pushing my body more than I have in a long time. 
So it was cool to go that far, and cool to go that fast, but by far the best part of my run today is that I was able to zone out and pay attention to the scenery (instead of paying attention to the mile marker in the distance)! 
When I finished and headed home, I decided to do a long cool down by taking the pups for a walk. We did our 1.2 mile loop around town, then I went to pick up prescriptions at Kroger (where you can get your Save On, lol). I get the meds filled once a month, and every single time they ask for her birthday, and then say "oh, it's for a dog....are you sure you want to pay this much?" (It's like $30) and every time, I say "yes it's for a dog but it's people medicine, and yes I want to pay for it." I live in a very very small town (there's all of 4 people that work in said pharmacy) and yet they feel the need to ask me every time.....wth???

Anywhoo, today was ultimately a huge success in distance, endurance, and in how I felt during my run! Things are looking up, and you better believe that I will be taking my camera on my next run!! And thank you for the ongoing encouragement, both in comments and in your own blogs! You all inspire me!

--Marge