Bummed.

I'm a little upset that my easy paces are so slow lately.  There are some good things; I'm finishing runs energized, and I'm running mileage in the high-20s without an injury.  I'm running now what was my peak mileage during my first half training cycle.

So I'm improving, clearly, and I have no hip pain, which is huge.  But somehow I'd thought that mid-way through February I'd be at least holding 9:30 as an easy pace, and instead I'm just getting slower and slower and slower.

Now, I'm not sure that it's a problem that I'm getting slower if I'm simultaneously building up mileage and re-introducing a strength program.  I don't start speedwork for another month, and so I'm trying to be patient with base building.  But I feel like I've lost the ability to run paces I ran ten weeks ago, and it's a little demoralizing.