Way to go, KSH! Once you work your way up in distance, it comes quicker every year. I run from about April until October, so I start over every year, after ski season (my favorite!) is over. I'm as aerobically fit as I'm going to get, going into running season, but it is still a totally different set of muscles, so it takes me a while to get beyond 2-3 miles. I do a 25k in mid-June, so I'm always struggling to get up to 9 or 10 before then, and then suddenly jump my distance up by 50% that day (stupid, huh?). After I recover from that, it gets easier. You won't have any problem doing a 1/2 marathon, if you are up to 10.5 already.

Like Yellow, my way of battling the boredom is also trail running - a totally different animal! I absolutely hated running for years, until I did enough one year to feel strong and have fun. Then we started running almost exclusively on trails, and it makes a world of difference. My few road runs are usually on a beautiful stretch along Lake Superior, which I do enjoy. Narrow road with little shoulder, but twisty & rolling & cool & scenic. I feel awful on long straight roads (mental thing, I suppose).

I did a 10 mile road race today (let's see, I did about 1/4 mile of pavement in April, a 5k in May, and 10 miles today - gotta love those Asics Kayanos, or I'd be pounded to death). I've run so little this season, between road biking, mtn biking, and swimming, recovering from grueling races, and just getting back from a week paddling in the Boundary Waters, I wasn't sure I could do it today, pavement aside. I'm pretty pleased with 1:25:19 - not a PR, but my PR days probably ended 10 years ago. I did win my age group! And I beat my DH and my training buddy (reeled her in gradually and passed her 10 feet from the top of about a 1.5 mile hill, maybe 1/2 mile from the finish - teehee). Fantastic weather - 62F at the finish, sunny but lots of shade along the course. And I didn't have to poo! Highly unusual for me for a pavement run.