Where's the Donuts?

Super Jock 'n' Jill Half in Woodinville, it's a pretty big race for the area and popular. Big crowd out there today. I didn't have the greatest past few days in preparation, but still felt confident about my goals: Definitely under 1:24, my half time earlier this year, possibly sub-1:22 if I felt good, and an outside chance at 1:20 if the stars aligned.

Weather was forecast to be sunny and 70, but it was cloudy and 55 at the start. I thought it would feel cold, but once we were 400m in I warmed up and was very pleasant. Really nice course. Starts at a brewery (though, oddly, no free post-race beer) and the first 3 or so are on a country road. Then you hit urban trails along a river for awhile, well wooded. Then back onto roads at about the halfway point, uphill through a little business park and an old-timey neighborhood and downtown, then a few moderately confusing switchbacks and turnarounds where you see the field repeatedly, then back on the trail to finish.

I went out with the second pack, more or less, it was a little strung out by mile 1 but basically all the elites racing out front, a gap, then a string that I was a part of. A lot of teams racing, and I tucked in with what I think was Club Northwest. That set-up pulled me well under pace for the first four, which came back to bite me in the end. I stayed with the group for about four miles, then drifted and spent most of the race on my own. Here's the splits:

5:54, 6:11, 6:02, 6:05, 6:17, 6:23, 6:41, 6:18, 6:26, 6:39, 6:49, 6:52, 6:32, 0:35.

The first four, like I said, were too fast. I feared I'd regret it, though I knew that start set me up for a special race if I held on. I didn't. By mile 5 I let the pack go and settled down to a better pace, slowed a bit on the unexpectedly steep hill, then got back into a groove for two miles. But I was pooped by 10, then ran three disappointing miles. I knew that keeping them under 7 would keep me on pace for 1:24, and under 6:30 would make 1:22 realistic. I'm frustrated now that I couldn't keep that pace, but I just had spent too much energy early and that just made me frustrated for being an idiot. I managed to get back on pace for the last mile, but I was getting passed by that point (**Cody should stop reading now, but yes, I got passed by a woman with less than two miles**) and just didn't have it. So I wrapped up the race, met Dale and the finish and we cooled down and talked for awhile. I still met my baseline goal, so I'm not upset by the race, and other than that stretch at the end felt pretty strong. Can't complain too much. Definitely better than being at work.

Easy five on 11th-Shore Drive, my legs were a little tired getting started but pretty much recovered and fine. No soreness from Monday or anything, but having a day off helped. Ran a little slower than usual, really pretty morning with the sun coming up. 38:10.  

supernova red -- 206

Five on the Warren-Manette bridge loop, real nice morning and it's supposed to be the same tomorrow. This week was kind of thrown off by the race Monday and some stuff at work that kept me from running two days, but with a long one tomorrow I'll get decent mileage and then get back into a routine next week. The recovery from Monday has been fantastic though, don't feel fatigued at all by today. There's a 2k fun run in my neighborhood tomorrow morning, maybe I'll go lay claim to the fastest man in Manette.

supernova red -- 211

It's dark again on Saturday mornings, I had a flashback to winter this morning when I woke up. But the sun was dawning by the time Mike and I met and took off, and it was a gorgeous autumn morning. Twelve on the Slug course, started slow then settled into an unplanned groove and actually did a few quick miles. They felt good though, any more would have been pushing so it was a good light workout. 7:30 pace for the first four, then we did a bathroom stop and took off again at a better pace. 6:51, 7:07, 6:54, 6:46, 6:49, 6:36, 7, 6:43. 1:25 overall. Like I said, the pace came very naturally, I knew we were pushing but even when we were slowing on the way back we stuck with the pace. Good sign a few days after the race. I might get a few more miles in this afternoon, I meant to do a little po-dunk race in my neighborhood this morning to get to 40 miles this week, but went and had breakfast with the club instead.

PM: After the UW-BYU shenanigans I needed to get rid of some pent-up aggression, so I walked down to a neighborhood street fair and hung out, then ran two miles. It was more to forget about the worst call in college football history, but it also got me enough miles to get over 40 for the week. I know this site is probably full of Cougars, but stupid, annoying BYU stole the game at the end there.

supernova -- 225