Worthy Running Day 2

In yesterday's blog post I briefly mentioned that I need to slow down the pace in order to run more miles. Well, today I (accidentally) discovered three ways to do just that: get lost, find some tough terrain, and get distracted!
Today I wanted to try a new route and rather than map it out ahead of time (because I don't know a runner who actually does that!), I decided to pick a general direction and wing it! Though I did have a goal in mind: there's a park roughly two miles northwest from where I live called West Rock Ridge State Park. I'd heard good things but never ran in that direction because the two miles over there are on rather rough sidewalks. And looking at my run afterwards, it looks like I barely entered the park today - more to explore another time then! 
I knew that today's run was going to be an out-and-back, but I didn't expect it to be three mini out-and-backs! First, upon arriving to the outskirts of the park, I couldn't find the entrance; then, I found an extremely rugged and steep trail that led me to the top of the cliff, where I found a cave and enjoyed a little history lesson; and finally, I wanted to make sure I hit at least nine miles today, so I added on a final small out-and-back at the end of the run. 
While I usually find it torturous to stop on a run to admire the view (oh no! It's messing with my pace!), I'm trying to become better at enjoying more aspects of running now that I'm not forced to train under a certain regimen. It's totally up to me! 
So far there's been no new pledges today, but I guess the bright side of setting up the fundraising challenge the way I have is that even if there are no new pledges, I can still add in new miles run and the total still increases! Today, we're at $2.28 per mile multiplied by 23 miles, making the projected total raised $52.44! Please consider pledging to give as little as $0.01 (that's just a single penny!) per mile that I run! You can do so HERE. For reference, I've been averaging 60 miles/week the last couple of months. Though I do hope to increase that during this challenge! 

Once again, stay Cooped Up! Or, if you do have to leave the house - wear a mask and maintain your distance from others! 

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