The Long Run

I was a little worried about today's run since I pushed the pace a bit at the end of Saturday's run, but I was feeling pretty much recovered.  Scheduled for 11 miles total, with 6 x 1000m, 90 seconds rest between.  6 repeats like last week, but a little bit longer for each one.

First one was slower, felt like I was still getting warmed up, still pretty fast, just a little outside of my range.  The next ones were better, and the last one was the fastest:

paces: 6:19, 6:05, 6:07, 6:08, 6:08, 6:00

splits (1km): 3:55, 3:46, 3:48, 3:48, 3:48, 3:43

Cool down and finish out the miles afterward, a good morning.

Average pace: 7:52

Ran with Jenny and Jamie for 8 miles, then headed back out for another 7. Tired legs but picked it up the second part.  I think this was my last mid-week 15 mile run for a while.  I was beginning to dread these a lot less.  It's odd, because a Saturday 15 mile run would seem like "only 15 today!".  Just a different perspective I suppose.

Average pace: 8:08

AM - Easy run with Jenny . Ran 4.5 with her before heading back. Nice sunrise this morning.

Average pace: 8:42

Did a quick upper body workout after the run.

PM - 4.1 miles on the treadmill at the Y.  Uneventful but pleasant, just sort of veg out, listen to some music and half watch the TV.  I certainly don't mind the treadmill at all.

Average pace: 8:10

Ended up getting dumped on pretty bad.  Got up early and out the door right about 5:00.  Ran to Longleaf to run with the Striders for their 5:30 run.  It was just a very light rain by the time I got there, I was optimistic that it would stop.  Very few people had shown up as it was starting to rain heavily in other areas.

I ran with Jackie for about 6 miles (fortunately she went easy on me, she's way faster than I am), then headed back.  The worst of the rain seemed to have past by the time we were back at Longleaf.  She offered me a ride back to my house but I said I was ok.  Shoes were already as heavy as they could get and the rain was no longer that bad.

Headed back to my house and once near home took the long way around the neighborhood but came up a little bit short of 12, decided I was starting to push my luck with the approaching lightning, so decided eleven and a half was pretty close.

Average pace: 8:04

Easy run with Jamie in the neighborhood, a little windy but nice, much better than running in yesterdays rain!

Average pace: 8:43

Chasco Challenge Half Marathon - 1:30:55, 4th overall.

Splits: 7:16, 7:14, 7:09, 7:01, 6:54, 7:00, 6:54, 6:52 (+ 0:17 garmin adjust), 6:49, 6:51, 6:42, 6:35, 6:25, 0:55 (0.16 @ 5:53)

I had meant to do this as more of a training run, with the goal of running it at marathon goal pace, but the plan changed a little bit.

Took it easy the first half.  Started out with Dixie and soon Mike was running alongside us, also. First mile was at 7:16, then 7:14, then 7:09 for the next two.  Dixie was hoping to match or come close to his old PR from October which was run on basically the same course but at the peak of his marathon training.  We stayed together for about the first 3 miles, then I started to drift ahead.

The next few miles I had picked up the pace a little bit and was hovering right around 7:00, sometimes a little faster and sometimes a little bit slower.

I had taken a gel just before the start of the race, and I had one gel on me which I took with around 5 miles left.  They had plenty of water stops along the way, but only water.  I was slightly worried because usually I'm grabbing gatorade at each stop.  It's probably more fuel than I need, as I was fine with two gels (and I'm sure there are some people who would say that even that is too much).

After the turn around I began picking it up a little more and was now solidly under 7:00 without seeming to expend extra effort.  Sometime around 4 miles left to go, I saw Eudair who was not racing today, heading toward me.  She said that I wasn't that far behind the 3rd place guy.  I was pretty sure it was actually the 4th place guy, but still I ended up going faster to see if I could close the gap.

The course had a small out and back at the end of mile 10.  I could see the 3rd place guy and 4th place guy.  3rd place guy was pretty far ahead, but I was gaining on the 4th place guy.  

Finally, with about a half mile left to go I caught the 4th place guy, passed him slowly, and then held the new faster pace, and then kicked it in after the 13 mile marker.

Dixie and Mike were the next ones in. 

We jogged back out a bit to catch Jamie as she was coming in, then went back out again as Victoria was finishing up.

Except for the last 3 miles, where I started going significantly faster than planned, I felt good and mostly relaxed while running. 

They had a nice pancake breakfast afterward and the sun had warmed things up to a good hanging out after the race