Of Mice and Marathons

South side, back home, north side - 10.25 miles, averaged 8:24

Not the run I was looking for. Oh well.

AM: North side - 4.5 miles, averaged 8:25

PM: 231 out and back - 14 miles, averaged 7:27 w/ 5 mile AT tempo: 6:58, 7:05, 6:50, 6:54, 7:05

Had to slow down a good bit because my stomach was kicking the tar out of me. Too bad too because I was started to feel really relaxed. Wanted another mile or 2, but at mile 5 Coach Stomach said to call it a day and hit the cool down.

9th street out and back - 6.5 miles, averaged 8:15

Have what I think is a stone bruise on the bottom of my left foot. Thought for a moment it was Morton's neuroma and dismissed it, but now that I read the symptoms again it may be that. The other day I did have a pebble in my shoe, but I can't remember which foot.  No discomfort running or walking down stairs. Two years ago I had to hug the handrail to get down the steps.

AM: North side - 4.5 miles, averaged 8:34

PM: Jefferson High School - 7 miles, averaged 7:49 w/ 4 unstructured intervals @ 5:49 (faster end of what 5k pace probably is) to get an idea of effort and turnover: .28 @ 5:54; .29 @ 5:58; .37 @ 5:49; .18 @ 5:36

South side - 7.5 miles steady, averaged 7:26 w/ brief pickup @ 5:28

North side - 5.5 miles, averaged 7:48 w/ 1 mile @ MP toward the end because of some strides (6:56) around 5:20, dropping to 5:00

Legs felt good once I got moving and 5:48-5:55 pace felt doable. Not easy, but legs had that day-before-race-day feel where the same pace should about right once the gun goes off.

I kept moving my goal down as I approached this race. Sub-19 seemed silly given recent fitness gains and workouts. 18:30 seemed reasonable, but after I looked at my speed work I decided it would be tough, but that I would take a crack at the 17-minute mark even though I have never run a sub 6-minute mile and nothing under 19 minutes.

I was darn close today. Warmed up 3 miles, dynamic stretches, then some more running with several strides for 3.6 total. Gun went off. The first mile is flat with a slight downhill and a 180 degree turn around at about .9. By the clock I hit mile 1 in 5:48 (5:51 on my Garmin). Then slight uphill, enough to cost me some seconds from the pace I was on. The clock at mile 2 was either 11:43 or 11:45. I remember the last two digits being close but less than the last two digits of the first mile split. So mile 2 5:58ish by the clock (6:01 on my watch). I could tell I was at the right effort, but having to work a bit. Across the bridge and down the river trail. Passed by the track (anyone for some 400s after the race?). Kept pushing. Didn't see a clock for mile 3, but Garmin said 5:52. I tried to go by the person who won the woman's division, but I was promptly crushed. No one passed me though (well, not anyone already behind me). I could see 17:53 on the clock and I tried to kick harder, but I didn't have much else. It was going by 18:0X when I was just nearing the timing mats. Managed to hit 5:19 average for the partial. 

Caught my breath and snagged a cookie and a water.

Thawed my hands and got my results (18:06) inside. I found my throwaway and cooled down on the canal trail and around Military Park for 3.6 miles. I fell in front of some folks on the canal trail. I suppose these things do happen. 

PM: 4 miles, no watch