10 miles at 6:30am. Weather=85 degrees, 60% humidity, 69 dew point, 14 mph wind, sunny. mile 1- 7:59 mile 2- 7:39 mile 3- 7:40 mile 4- 8:06 mile 5- 9:29 (big hill) mile 6- 8:26 mile 7- 8:36 mile 8- 8:30 mile 9- 8:09 mile 10- 8:31 A rather disapointing run with my group. My plan was to try to run with the fast guys and Emily today. They usually average 7:45 for long runs with the final couple miles in the low 7:00's. In theory I should be able to keep up. In theory... However, I guess I need more work. I also had a few things not going my way. My sports bra was too tight. I don't think I hydrated enough prior. My ipod wasn't working properly. The water stops were a huge let down because the water was HOT, not even worth drinking they were so hot. Not to mention this HOT water was only at 1.5 and 2.5 miles, then on the way back at 7.5 and 8.5 miles. Terrible spacing! In miles 4 and 5 I was running and seeing other water buckets for other running groups in the distance thinking it might be ours but then we'd get there and it wasn't ours. UGH! James (store owner) was running with us and he said he was going to "talk" to the guy who was did the water today. He was pretty pissed. But most of the others in the group didn't seem too affected- not like me. Most of them just ran El Scorcho last week and this was easy running for them. I, however, was dying. To me this pace was a tempo run and I wanted cold water. Then at mile 5 we turned to go up this steep hill... if I were guessing I'd say 8 or 10% grade. James and some of the others are training for Pike's Peak ascent so they wanted to run it. It was relatively short, maybe only 100 yards. But still. I made it half way up and I decided that was enough for me. I wimped out. I turned around and went back the way we came to the store. Another guy had also wimped out and I started running with him. However, he was in worse shape than I was and he was stopping at the water for other groups and then walking alot. I ran/walked with him for about 3 miles and then the told me to go ahead. I tried to speed up to 7:45 for the remaining couple miles but I failed because I got a stitch in my side... I think all the walking ruined it. I did my best but it was a sufferfest. So disappointing. I need to re-evaluate my training here to see how I can best get myself running 7:45's. Maybe some mile repeats and tempo runs. | 