Yes. You're reading this correctly. I ran 8 miles this morning including 2 quarters and a half mile at 5:24 pace. The rest were at 6:30s. I'm a bit befuddled. I woke up Sunday expecting to feel like I normally do after a marathon...immovable. Instead, I woke up wanting to lace up and run two more laps around Central Park.
This morning I woke up and went upstairs to the this awesome workout facility in the Grand Hyatt with a nice TV screen built into the unit and all kinds fo gadgets. It's the first time I've run on a treadmill in at least a year and probably only the third time since I started running 2 and a half years ago. I still hate it but watching Sportscenter helped.
So I started out at 7:00 pace and after 1/2 mile was bored so upped it to 6:30s. I planned on just running five but there were some highlights I hadn't seen yet so I kept going. I threw in a quarter at 5:24 pace in both the 6th and 7th miles and then ran the first half of the 8th and final mile at 5:24. There was some minor achiness in my left hammy but as I felt fine. Very light breathing. Could have easily run another 5-7 miles at 6:30 but I have business meetings later this morning that I need to get ready for.
Hard to reconcile how I can blow up the last 5 miles of a marathon and then turnaround 48 hours later and have such a solid run. The earliest I've ever run after a marathon is four days after and that is usually at 8:30 pace. It does really hammer home the point that the marathon distance is it's own animal. Those final 5-8 miles are so different. It's why I believe a marathon is three times as "hard" as a half marathon.
I'm in NY on business all week so I'm hoping to get in a couple runs in Central Park if it will warm up a bit. | 