The Long Run

10.21 mi, 1:22:40, 8:05 avg

This morning felt like one of those "get the job done" runs.  Ran from my house to 54 to Corporate Pkwy and then to the new park and one loop around the water, then down Trinity and then towards Heritage Springs and up and down Robert Trent Jones Pkwy.  First mile was 9:33, second was 8:20 and then the rest were mainly between 7:40 and 8:00.  Heat and humidity were as expected.   Felt pretty good most of the time.  I thought back to Thursday's run where I felt great the whole time and appreciated it.

10.21 mi, 1:25:39, 8:23 avg

Ran at the Y with the Striders, 5:30.  Ran about 6 miles with Joe, then did another 2.5 miles by myself before I had to head home and make sure Andy was awake to get to his volunteer hours.  After that, did another 1.7 miles running the neighborhood loop.  Felt a  bit sluggish again today but part of that was due to chatting with Joe while running.

11.02 mi, 1:24:12, 7:38 avg

Started out finally about 6:50, warm and overcast.  Weather.com said it was 79 degrees, but there was a slight breeze.

Warmed up with about 1.6 miles easy pace (feeling slow and clunky), ran out to 54 so I'd start the tempo portion just around the corner from Starkey Blvd.

Started the tempo portion and was wondering how far I could make it today.  I haven't had one fully successful tempo run so far this training cycle.  First mile was ok and I was making it through my second mile ok, and then into the third mile and it was starting to feel tough and I wanted to stop.  The thing with stopping by choice during a tempo run is that it can really ruin it for me.  However, if I stop for some reason outside of my doing then I seem to be ok.

And soon, I saw Beka running toward me, looking a bit tired and discouraged.  She was running a 20 mile training run since she'd be travelling on Saturday and the heat had gotten to her.  Stopped and said hi and said some words of encouragement, but secretly I knew she had just saved me.  She told me where they had stashed a cooler in case I needed water, I wished her a good vacation and then went on my way.  The rest of the miles weren't easy but I knew I'd get them done.  One of the miles was a little slower but not far off and the average of the tempo miles was good.

Splits: 6:46, 6:53, 6:45, 6:51, 7:02, 6:49

After the tempo miles I still had a bit over two miles to get back home.  Felt good on the final mile with 7:25 pace.

10.03 mi, 1:24:18, 8:24 avg

Longleaf with the Striders at 5:30.  A few drops of rain before the run and then nothing, just some pretty pre-rain humidity (rained a couple hours later).  Joe and Jamie were both there this morning, ran with them almost to Aristide neighborhood (about 5.5 miles), I kept going a bit more so I'd have 10 miles when I got back to the start.  Picked it up the last few miles with the final mile at 7:13.

9.36 mi, 1:25:20, 9:08 pace

Ran with Jamie in the neighborhood, 6:00 am start.  Not too hot and muggy and then started to rain a bit part of the way into the run.  Ranged between light and medium with a bit of wind.  Wet, but at least it was no longer close to hot.

20.12 mi, 2:46:55, 8:17 avg

Pretty warm and muggy but with a breeze here and there.  5:45 start at Longleaf with Jamie and a bunch of others.  Ran up  Starkey Blvd, brief stop at corner of Aristide neighborhood for water top off, started again but Jamie forgot her ipod so we doubled back about a quarter mile, grabbed it and then started up again.  A little bit later Joe caught up to us.  He had left a little later than us but was also running a little faster.

We ran into Starkey Park and then at almost 8 miles, Joe and Jamie turned back.  It was my plan to pick up the pace for the rest and that's what I did.  At that point I had about an 8:48 average pace for the run.  There was no water in the water coolers on the trail so I was careful with what I had.  Headed out a little past 10 miles and turned back with a stop at the Striders shelter for some gatorade and water.

Now, only 5 miles left, got going again.  Kept on a pretty good pace but it sure was getting hot, really feeling it when out of the shade. 

With three miles left I kept it under 8:00 and did the last mile at 7:33.

Stopped at Havana Dreamers after the run for a big coke with lots of ice.

Now, only one more 20 miler to go.  I feel like I've done a consistent job this time of following the plan with the paces and distances even when I feel like running a bit slower, not running as far or skipping the tempo run.  They haven't all gone as planned but I think the effort was there for each one.

When I drove home I saw Jamie jogging in the neighborhood with her husband biking next to her.  Her return trip was kind of rough and she cut it short but decided to finish up once she got home.  Good that her husband offered to bike alongside her.