7 Mile Run (AA+) **164.25**

SANTA MONICA -- This should have been an outstanding, but I don't want to hand those things out like candy. So many good runs.

It was weird going out today after a solid race effort...an effort that has grown on me since. I was so smitten with the race itself I didn't really appreciate how well I did. There was never any doubt during this one. If anything, it ended sooner than I thought it would. The miles seemed to fly by. Unlike last year, I wasn't holding back more than a few seconds per mile, though, which led to a good time. Finished top 6 percent overall, top 11 percent in my age group. 486 out of 7,000+. 94th in age group...and most impressively, to me, only beaten by 84 of 3,500 women. Considering the talent out there among the females at this race...that is nothing to sneeze at.

Anywho, the run today was good from the start. Legs were all bent up, but kept pushing when I could. Really started flying on the downhill and by the time I got to Santa Monica Blvd. I was pretty well trashed. But then I went to the hips-forward style and somehow just started cruising. It was like someone else was running. So I'll try to explore that style a bit more in the coming days. Should have been an outstanding...but don't want to hand those out. Gotta preserve them.