Getting back to Boston

Kinda guessing at the distance on my first run; forgot to recharge the Garmin, which of course died, and had to semi-measure it afterward using car odometer. After yesterday's howling wind, today is much more pleasant: 50 degrees, sunny, very light breeze, absolutely cloudless sky. Even ran in my sunglasses, which I basically never do, and my hat instead of the everpresent headband. Anyway, the odometer says 3.1 from where I parked to where I turned around, so I'm basically calling this one a 10K. Took me somewhere in the 56-57 minute range, and, as usual, I'm pretty sure I ran the second half faster than the first (just hope I have the discipline and good pacing to do that in Newport). Just an easy, no-muss, no-fuss recovery run, and legs felt pretty good after yesterday's exertion. Good night's sleep on the foam helped.

So I'm thinking back to Chile Pepper, my first lame attempt at a race in this running life. Not in good shape, went out way too fast, crashed and burned, and finished 10K in 57 minutes. Today, a RECOVERY RUN (which really felt like a jog) was faster than that. 

Went back to the boathouse at dusk after watching Tiger win another one for my second run, a 5. Five turned out to be 5.71, and I tried a little experiment: Imagine that I'm at 24.5 at Newport and I need to run the last 1.75 in less than 14 minutes to get my BQ. So I ran in it 13:22, including 7:13 pace for the last .75. I may be doing quite a bit more of that in the next eight weeks, since I'm now 62 days from the race. Practice putting the hammer down when I'm tired and I have to suck it up to get there.

Leave it to me to not leave well enough alone. I probably should have kept tonight's GA run kinda slow just to recover from yesterday's recovery run. Uh, no. I started off at a good pace and got faster and faster and faster, until the last mile was just about at GMP. Total 10 miles in 86 minutes.

Been thinking about my strategy for Hogeye. I want to see how fast I can go, but the terrain may preclude the kind of race I ran in Conway, where I just tried to lay down 13 consecutive miles at the same pace. I'm thinking run about 7:20-7:30 pace for the first three hilly miles, put the hammer down in the "flats" at about 7:00 pace for the next seven miles, then see what I have left when I get back to the hills. What I'd REALLY like to do is go sub-1:30, but that would require a 6:51 average. Not sure I could do that on a flat course, much less this one.

Old OCD at it again. Not content with merely a big monthly PR on mileage, I had to run at least 15.13 miles tonight so that I could average 11 miles per day for the month of March. So I did. New course, sorta; started at the soccer fields, went across BDB, turned around at the 4-mile mark, back across BDB, Gatorade break at the car, then southeast on the RT until almost the end of Alligator Alley before turning around again and returning to the car. It was quite light when I started and pitchblack 2 hours, 18 minutes later when I finished. Getting buzzed by mobs of wacko cyclists for the first hour; solo as usual for the last 45 minutes. So I finished March at 341 and change. Now I start my mini taper for Hogeye.

Easy 7 tonight on the dreadmill, starting my mini-taper for the Hogeye Half on Sunday. Pretty comfortable run at just over 9:00 pace. Otherwise, not much to it. I think this comes at a good spot on the schedule; take it easy for a few days will recharge the batteries, not only for the half but for a big training week next week, including a 24-miler on the 11th.

One last dose of speedwork before the half-marathon on Sunday. Hit the dreadmill at the club for a good hard 8, and ran the last 2 at GMP. Overall average 8:20, and I felt like I could have gone faster; GMP was not any kind of strain. Gives me more confidence going to Fayetteville. Probably 6 tomorrow, and 4 Saturday morning with the Crackheads before we go northwest.

Also went over 800 miles for the year tonight. There have been probably three of the five decades of my life that I haven't run 800 miles TOTAL. In March alone, I ran equivalent to the distance from North Little Rock to Arlington, Texas.  

Easy 4 tonight to work out some kinks. Didn't start until after 9 p.m. and just ran around the flattish areas of my neighborhood (which are not very extensive) over and over until I got in four miles.

Looking ahead to the half on Sunday, if I can hit my goal time I might be able to win my AG and finish top 20 overall. Basically I'm going to start out at 7:15 pace through the opening hills, see how I feel when I get down to the flats and maybe put the hammer down after we split from the marathoners at mile 8 or so.

I feel like such a slacker -- only 8 miles the last two days, and only 60 this week. Only 60. Yikes.

Four miles from Murray Park over BDB this morning. Last dose of hill training before Hogeye, I guess, courtesy of Hobbit. Ran it faster than I probably should; well under 9:00 pace. But legs felt good, and as usual I picked up the pace going uphill and never backed off.

Going back, I think, to the same strategy I used at Soaring Wings -- lay down as many miles at my desired pace as I can, and see what I have left for the last three miles. In this case, that will be 7:15, which would get me a 1:35 if I maintain it. If I can pick ip up through the last three miles, even better, but I have to be aware of how I feel through the earlier miles. If a 7:15 feels too easy, push it.