The Long Run

Well, this really should go with last week's training. Due to traveling was not able to do my Saturday run until Sunday.   This is going to make my mileage for this week look pretty big for me. 

I was pleasantly surprised to see the temp at only 73º when I started my run this morning just before 7:00. I ran alone at Starkey park, going out to the end of the bike trail and up the Suncoast pkwy trail for about 1.5 miles. Did a good job of taking it easy on the way out. Ran faster on the way back with the last mile at 7:06. With 3 miles left to go it started to sprinkle which felt good to run through and kept the temperature from going above 75º. It could have been a miserable run but turned into a pretty good one.  I noticed that there were two extra water stops that weren't there before.  I refilled my water bottle a little bit two different times to make sure I didn't run out.

Average pace: 8:02

Did some cross training today.  Recovering from yesterday's run.  12 minutes on arc trainer, 20 minutes on the bike, and about 30 minutes of upper body weights.   Calves felt a little bit tight but not terrible.

Another nice day for running, 74º and very reasonable humidity.  Before leaving for my vacation mornings were warm and humid, then I had a week of running hot and dry, now it is much nicer and very much appreciated.  No one ran with me this morning, the regulars seemed to have dropped off a bit right now.  

Ran at the neighborhoods near the Y.  Started out slow, felt all recovered from Sunday's run but thought taking it easy would be wise.  First mile at 9:14, picked up a little bit faster each mile with  the last two miles at 7:32 and 7:16.  Ran the last .2 miles with the high school cross country coach who was leading his pack back in.

8 miles at 8:08 pace. 

This morning's run was kind of interesting.  I wasn't expecting to run with anyone and got a little bit later of a start.  Just past 6:30 I was at the Y, I saw my friend Jenny who was talking to another lady named Anne Marie.  Anne Marie asked if I wanted to run "with these guys" - who were the high school cross country team, they were all doing 10 miles, but there was another guy there who was not on the team but ran with them who was only doing 8 that day.  So, I went along with them.   Started out with an easy 8:38 pace for the first mile, followed by 8:08, gradually picking things up.  On the way back got caught at a really long traffic light, maybe about 45 seconds or so.  Weather was pretty good again at about 74° and pretty reasonable humidity for Florida.

I was invited back for speed work on Mon and Fri but I think that would be asking for it :) 

Average pace: 7:49 

Another 8 miles this morning.  Alone.  8 miles is starting to feel easy which is a good sign.  Started out at 8:50 pace, then just kept on running without trying to increase pace but it seemed to go up slowly by itself 8:11 -> 8:09 -> 8:07, last two at 7:32 and 7:26.

 Temperature has gone back up but still not too bad, 76° and a somewhat stick 75% humidity.

A bunch of people will be running on Saturday so I will do 10 miles with them at 6:00 am.

Overall average pace: 8:02 

10 mile run with David, Dixie, and Randall.   Hadn't seen Dixie for a while, so it was good to run with him again.  We met up at 6:00 at the Y, waited a few minutes for Joe (who couldn't make it but I didn't check my email), got moving at about 6:10.  Pretty easy pace most of the way, stopped a few times for water.  I do enjoy running with other people but the stops always seem to take longer.  Had a couple of faster miles at the end at about marathon pace.

Weather was pretty decent with not too much sun, a reasonable 75° and average humidity.

Overall pace was 8:22