Recovering from CECS

A running buddy of mine called me this morning.  He's a pretty solid athlete, but he's had a bit of bad luck over the last couple of years.  He's had both ACL's reconstructed.  He's been pretty consistent through the winter and wants to start training together.  This might be what I need.  He ran the New Bedford Half last month in around 1:19, so he's fit but not out of my league.  He wants me to run a low-key hilly 1/2 mary this weekend.  I think I'll do it to jump start my training and motivate me to train a little more regularly.  I went for a run right after I spoke with Loren.  It turned into a tempo run.  8:48 miles total.  Essex Loop.  First mile or so easy and then I got into a decent rythm.  total time: 59:30.  7:01/mi. 148 BPM.  I think I can average 7:00s for the 1/2.  It's a tough course.

River Cover Road.  4 miles.  I'm a little tired from yesterday's enthusiasm.  29:09. 7:16/mi. 149BPM.

Rolling Irish Half Marathon.  13.11 miles.  It’s a certified course; I had 13.17 on my Garmin.  GPS error and tangents probably make up the .06 miles.  This is a tough hilly course on mostly dirt roads.  I haven’t been very consistent lately, so I wasn’t expecting a stellar time.  In fact, this is the first ½ mary I’ve run since 1997.  It was about 45 degrees, breezy and overcast.

Mile 1. 6:54. Flat and paved.  Leaders are already gone; a couple of kids from some small college.  I think they ran around 1:14 or so.  Pretty quick for this course.  I felt good.  Loren hung back with me.  He’s recovering from bronchitis and was hacking up some awful stuff.

Mile 2.  6:51.  Dirt and rolling.  Loren and I are still together.

Mile 3.  6:24.  Pretty big downhill.  It’s a loop course, so I’m already thinking about paying back this downhill later.

Mile 4.  7:09.  Gradual uphill.  This wasn’t too bad, but I know the tough stuff is not until miles 6 – 9.  Loren took off.  He ended up running 6:00s for the rest of the race.  I think he finished 5th or 6th.

Mile 5.  5:53.  Falling off a cliff.  Who though 5:53 would be a screaming fast mile for me?  Oh well, I’ll worry about that later.  Time to get ready for the uphill.

Mile 6.  6:36.  Leveled out and turned to pavement.

Mile 7.  7:49.  Did I mention the hills yet?  Brutal hills.  At one point I ran a quarter in 2:30!  Huffing and puffing and using my hands on my knees a little.  I’m starting to pay for taking 3 or 4 days off each week over the last 2 months!

Mile 8.  7:35.  We’re not out of the woods yet.  I’m still paying my penance for taking too much time off.  At least I had time in the bank from the downhills earlier.  I’m still better than 7:00 pace.

Mile 9.  7:52.  The worst yet!  The course markers dished out a little bit of cruelty.  They made a big chalk smiley face at the crest of a giant hill.  I assumed it symbolized the end of the uphills.  Wrong.  I turned the corner and discovered more hills!  What a heartbreak.

Mile 10.  6:39.  Finally done with the big hills.  Back to rollers.  Unfortunately, I’ve developed a pretty bad stitch.  I’ll deal with it.  Only 3 to go.

Mile 11.  6:54.  Rolling hills.  My legs are feeling pretty dead by now.

Mile 12.  7:04.  Still hanging on.

Mile 13.  6:41.  Switched back to pavement.  The stitch is really bad by now, but I can see the end.

.17 mi 1:10.  I tried to look smooth across this line even though I know I am in shambles.

Total time: 1:31:32.  6:59/mi. for 13.11 miles.  I think I was 12^th or 13^th.  I’ll check online once the results are posted.  That’s about where I figured I’d be.  According to the course tool this is a 6:41 flat effort.  I’ll take it.  Loren and I are going to start meeting in the mornings a few days a week.  I need the motivation, he needs the structure.  He ran around 1:22 today while recovering from bronchitis.  I hope to catch up to him if I can get out the door every day.