Puzzled and Pouting

I ran Tinicum this morning - the initial loop, plus an out and back of the connector section. I intentionally took the initial mile at a somewhat relaxed pace. Judging from what I know to be the one mile mark from my house into Tinicum, the first mile came in at right around a 9 minute pace. Fine.

I picked up the pace, I thought, especially during the last two and a half miles of the run. I finished in exactly 54 minutes. So here's the thing... I G-mapped the route (but lost the link) and it's just over six miles. And by just over, I mean like by a few hundredths of a mile. I don't get it. How could I have maintained a nine minute pace while feeling like I really had stepped it up? I've been running long enough now to be able to tell when I'm running faster than I was... at least I thought so.

This was the same feeling I had on Sunday when I ran that additional four after running 8.25 with Amy. That I chalked up to a fluke and the fact that I was likely fatigued from the 8+ miles. But now today it happened too. This has me perplexed, frustrated, and wondering whether I need to revise my goal time for Allentown. I'm not happy and then I get frustrated because part of me just wants to run for the enjoyment of running and not worry so much about times. But I just don't understand how I could have suddenly become so much slower?

I don't mean to just kvetch about my slowness. I do love running in Tinicum and feel fortunate to have that resource so close by. And, overall, I felt pretty good during the run. I had to stretch out the calves after about a mile and a half, but then they were fine.

6 in 54