Fartlek + Progression Run. 2 miles easy, 4 miles (1 min. @ 10K pace alternating with 1 min. easy), 2 miles easy, 2 miles hard. Average pace: 8:30. 32° at start, 45° at end, average humidity 50%, but decreasing during the run, winds calm. At met Michelle and Michelle on the Highline Canal Trail, as is usual for a Saturday morning. It was quite chilly, so I wore long pants, a long sleeve shirt and a jacket, gloves, and an ear covering. The Michelles were planning to run 6 miles, so I ran the first 2 miles with them, but then I had to start my fartlek intervals, so I left them behind. I was supposed to turn around at the five mile marker, but I had was in a fast interval at that point and I didn't want to turn around during a fast interval, so I went a ways beyond mile marker 5 and then turned around when it was time to run easy for a minute. As a result, I ended the 10 miles a good stretch ahead of where I usually stop, so I had a cool-down walk at the end. I ran the first 2 miles at 9:28 pace. My paces on the fast 1 min. intervals were: 7:14, 7:31, 7:24, 7:17, 7:13, 7:21, 7:18, 7:20, 7:32, 6:59, 7:14, 6:54, 6:59, 7:26, 7:07, 7:06, with recovery paces varying between 8:47 and 9:38. The 2 miles easy after the fartlek were at 9:12 pace, and then the 2 miles hard at the end were at 7:39 pace. As I started the run shivering, I thought of all the people running St. George this morning and wondering whether they were cold. I did drive up to Frederick/Firestone with my son last night and went and had sandwiches at the shop where this girl works. It was actually a fairly pleasant outing.
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