faster with age

     Ran 12 miles up around the reservoir. I usually don't see anybody but there were a lot of fishermen today being a holiday. I averaged 8:11 pace for the first 6 miles on the way out and 7:43 on the last 6 miles for 7:57 overall ave pace.

     A nice and easy 6 this morning at 8:55 ave pace.

     PM  Went out on a nice evening 15 mile mt bike ride. Just made it between rain storms.

     Nice morning with no rain and temps in the 50s. I ran 4 miles at 7:46 ave pace then a fartlek for the next 3 miles. I ran 2x 1/4 mile fast 1/4 easy. Then 2x 1/2 fast 1/2 easy. I averaged 6:52 pace for those 3 miles. It felt harder than I expected.

     PM  Ran an easy 5 miles. 2 1/2 of it in Five Fingers.

     A nice easy 8 mile run up to the reservoir. A few rain drops with temps in the upper 50s. perfect running weather. 8:39 AP.

     Ran 5 very slow miles 9:10 AP. Had no energy for running and had planned on 7 or 8 miles but cut it short.

     This wasn't a race I was planning on but saw it in the newspaper Wednesday and since it was only $5 and we needed to go down to Logan anyway I figured it would be a great way to get in some faster for the day. After signing up I had some time and we drove around the very well marked course. I knew it was definitely a tough course and I couldn't expect a fast time. I think it had as much total climbing and dropping as Smithfield health days plus it had 14 corners to go around. 3/4 of the first mile was climbing while the other 1/4 was either dropping or flat [which was rare on this course]. I finished that mile in 6:11. The second mile climbed the entire way except for one short block that was downhill. I ran mile 2 in 6:30. The 3rd mile started uphill for a bit and then was downhill to the finish. I know it sounds like much more uphill than down and that is how it seemed but it was a loop course. I guess 2 of the downhills were short and steep and were over with quickly. I ran mile 3 in 5:55 and the last .1 at 5:06 pace to finish in 19:04. Halfway through the race I though there was no way I would break 19 min and wasn't running with a lot of motivation other than to get a good workout. I wasn't paying attention to my time and was surprised at my time. Just like Smithfield that I finished in 19:01, If I would have been paying closer attention I think I could have picked it up and shaved off a few seconds. It was a well orginized race and they had a ton of great raffle items. I won a gift certificate to the Iron Gate Grill and got a good workout so I'd consider it 5 bucks well spent. 

     PM   Ran 10 miles 7:58 AP