Criteria for a good run

I saw it all the time, today was a "great run"! I'm wondering if I am defining a "great run" correctly. I want to compare my first 2 runs for this month.

Last night we had planned to do 10 miles after work, instead we slowly looped the Blvd, ending up with a measly 3.4 miles. My legs were sore the whole run. We stopped several times to stretch. Our pace was HORRIFIC, nothing I would ever admit to! Based on those facts I would have labeled it a "bad run". But I had fun! It was Joe and I after work, we were both in good spirits. The entire time was filled with jokes, laughs and stories from our day's. In that respect it was a "great run".

This morning was 10 miles starting before 5am. It was long and grueling. Many miles passed with little conversation. 10 miles takes enough time for even Joe to run out of things to say. There were times pushing it up the hills that I became sick to my stomach. We held it at a strenuous pace (at least for us it was). When we hit the last stretch, I thought this was a "great run".

How can they both be "great runs"? I have to learn to enjoy more than just the running itself. Many great people have joined us on our runs. Great conversations have been had as well as some BIG laughs! Running is individual as much as it is social. It can be a "great run", when it's been a run that you don't want to list in your training log. So come and join us, I promise it will be a "great run" in one way or the other!!