Four Miles and What's Next???

This morning I finally got out the door at 7am for a run.  The neighborhood loop that I run I can do either 4 miles, 5.5 miles, 6.5 miles or 7.5 miles - depending on where I re-enter my neighborhood.  So I went out this morning and decided that I'll make the run as long or short as need be, depending on how I felt.  Well...I only did the 4 miles.  I didn't feel horrible - or injured (thank goodness) - however, I didn't feel great either.  It could have been the two pints of Hoegaarden during last night's dinner, or the fact that I'm not drinking enough water lately, or the fact that I didn't take a pre-run GU, or that I was just tired from not sleeping enough, or the fact that it was really humid - but I just didn't want to continue my run.  So I took the turn to make it a 4 miler and that was that.

As I was finishing my run, my thoughts turned to the fact that I don't have a definitive running goal right now.  I have a few races on my calendar - but I'm not really training for them, per se.  I'm going to mull over it during the next week as to what I want my goal to be.  Here are a few potential goals:

• Train for a sub-2:11 half marathon (2:11 is a 10min/mile pace and my race PR is 2:16)
• Train for a new 5K PR (my current 5K PR is 26:21, but I haven't run a sub-28min 5K in 2 years)
• Run 2 (or 3) half marathons between now and the end of the year 
• Hit 1,000 miles for the year
• Just run to enjoy it

I believe that if I choose either of the first three goals, I'll reach the fourth one.  I'm already on pace for 1,000 miles for the year, but the pace bunny is slowly creeping up behind me (I'm foxeygoblue - and only 26 miles ahead of Mr. Bunny on the 1,000 mile chart right now)

The 5K option wasn't even on the radar until I read an article in last month's Runner's World.  There is an 8 week program for a faster 5K that looked pretty interesting.  The nice thing about training for a 5K is that the mileage doesn't have to be so high.  And my community's 5K race is only 8 weeks away - hmmm....