9:21

I ran hard today, finishing 6 miles at a 9:21 pace. I haven’t felt that strong or held that pace steady on a 5+ mile run in a while. My goal is to run a full minute faster (@8:21 pace) so I have some work to do over the next month, but I am relishing today’s little victory.

Given how good I felt, I think I could have run at a 7.00 speed the entire time. Having said that, I consciously decided to start off at 6.00 MPH and ease myself into it since I performed so poorly on yesterday’s 3-miler at the NYC Marriott (which I ran at a 10:00 pace). For whatever reason, I felt sluggish and overheated almost as soon as I began. It quickly turned into an obligatory run, but one that I was happy I finished.

Tomorrow is Monday so I’ll cross-train and hit my shoulders, legs and core.

I love my core work, by the way. A couple years back, I bought the Gaiam Abs Ball Kit, which is a really great tool to strengthen your core and abdominal muscles. I grip a two-handled, 8 pound ball and perform a 12-minute workout (you can choose beginner or advanced), with exercises that target my upper abs, lower abs, obliques and total core. Seven-time Iron Man triathlete Jonathan Roche takes me through the entire work-out. He’s very fit and also sweet on the eyes. ; ) It’s been a great investment and I highly recommend it. I hit my core whenever I lift, which is typically every other day.

Tell me about your workout today. Did you focus on cardio, strength training or a solid mix of both? Do you find it more or less challenging to get motivated on Sunday mornings? What are your workout goals for this week?