Brutal tempo 10k through Central Park tonight with the crew. Knox had Nora, Jess, Erin & I push a sub 9-min pace for the first time. The hills were as steep (and long!) as ever & I can’t even remember the number of times I wanted to stop, but 3-4 miles in and I experienced the most tremendous moment of clarity. While my legs had numbed from lactic acid and cold, my breathing slowed and it felt as though I had just started the workout. This was my first time experiencing something like this. It was as if my body had just… let go. At that moment, I knew it would be a matter of mind over miles. So long as I kept my legs moving one step in front of the other and my breathing in rhythm, I could run harder. And so I did. Finished at 54:12, over three minutes faster than my PR 10k time in Puerto Rico. My legs are shot and my right butt cheek has decided to cramp up at random but I feel damn accomplished. Every day I’m stronger, faster and better than the day before. Every day I’m one step closer to being a proper athlete again. It makes all the pain worth it.