Favorite runs?

I work at an AWESOME breakfast/lunch restaurant as a server (who sometimes hosts!), and it's really quite fantastic. I love the people I work with, I love the job...it's really just a great place. The food is pretty good too! Anyway, everyone there knows that I like to run, so the other day one of the servers asked me what my favorite distance to run is. I responded with my usual, "Well, I ran the mile and two mile in high school..." which I realize isn't relevant at all anymore since I graduated from high school five and a half years ago.

This got me thinking...what really is my favorite distance to run? Not in terms of "racing," which I really haven't done in a long time...probably since high school, but in terms of just heading out for a run. I decided that somewhere around 7-8 miles is perfect. Why, you might ask? Let's consider the following:

1. Three miles is probably the shortest distance I consider running when I go out for a run. However, by the time I get warmed up, the run is pretty much over, so it really never feels good. Also, since it's such a short distance, I think it should be over before I know, which usually means that it will drag on forever.

2. Four-five/six miles...okay, not too bad. Five is definitely better than four, and it's long enough that I'm warmed up and feel good, but it's over pretty quick.

3. Seven-eight miles...perfect! I feel like this is a great range to get warmed up and then feel good about the run for awhile, but I don't feel tired from the run. I generally run between 7:30-8 minute miles, so these runs take around an hour, which is a good amount of time.

4. I'll just lump nine and above into one category. Around ten miles is where some effort may be necessary, and there's the whole mind game associated with the double digits. I may start to feel the results of the work that I'm putting in, and I'll most likely be tired after the run, especially if it's more than ten miles. Not that I don't like running long (obviously since I do the whole marathon thing!), but it's not quite as fantastic as the 7-8 mile range.

Now, onto my runs for the week thus far:

Tuesday, 1/6
3.05 miles in 24:09, avg pace of 7:55

Wednesday, 1/7
5.09 miles in 39:40, avg pace of 7:47

Thursday, 1/8
3.04 miles in 24:37, avg pace of 8:05

We got some snow yesterday, so the sidewalks are still covered. I run on the street except on the busy roads where I take up the sidewalk. Running on snow not only slows you down, but it is a lot of work! The slowest part of my run was on the snowy sidewalk, but I definitely felt like I was working harder. I really need to move to Florida or something!

That's all for now! My boyfriend is flying in tonight because my GRADUATION from nursing school is tomorrow! I don't think it's nearly as exciting as my graduation from the University of Maryland, since that took four years and this one only took one year, but it will nice to be officially finished with Rush forever.