Great job Brina and congrats on meeting your goal. I'm excited to hear how the next one goes!
I usually do the opposite of Grog - I try to run for a set amount of time without stopping. So, I usually try not to pay attention to the distance. There are days when I have to run slower to run as long as I would like to, but I've found it's helped me learn how to pace myself and ultimately run faster. But, obviously everyone's different in what works for them.
I totally agree with the brick workouts. After getting off my bike during my triathlon, I strongly felt the urge to stop running and start walking. However, I just remembered back to my brick workouts, and it gave me a huge confidence builder because I knew that if I had gotten through those, then eventually the tightness would go away. Not to mention, the best feeling in the world was getting out of the pool and thinking - "ok, I definitely can finish this because I've done this workout before."
Good luck and great job!
"It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired, you quit when the gorilla is tired."
-Robert Strauss