Uphill Swing

Today was an easy 4 mile run followed by some hill sprints. I got a late start because I was up late reading a fascinating running book. I ran out along West River Drive to the end of the first parking lot and back.

Early on, I felt great. I took it easy and had no lingering effects of the tough run yesterday. It was a bit windy early on, but once I got warmed up, it actually had a nice cooling affect.

I was able to coast to the turnaround point thanks to the lack of runners around. Again, I only passed two runners going the opposite direction in the entire 4 mile leg. As it wore on, my legs did get a bit tired, even with the slow pace. I still didn't feel too bad at the end though.

I then ran some short hill sprints up the hill behind the Art Museum. I added on the short steep segment at the end. I ran 4 repeats of the hills. I actually had to rotate from one path to another a few times to avoid people who were walking. It was a great workout. I thought I was pushing pretty hard, but actually could've gone faster. That became evident as I finished the last one very fast.

As I sit around, my legs still are feeling good, even after a hard week. Tomorrow's rest should help even more. My groin area is a little sore right now, but hopefully that will go away. It doesn't bother me when I run.

I read an entire 275 page book about a group of remote Indians in Mexico that run all the time and can be the top ultramarathoners. Right now, I'm focused on the marathon, but I'm strongly considering longer races in the future. I'd have to learn a lot about running like that though, particularly because it's usually through trails. It seems like a fascinating challenge.

Tomorrow will be rest, with a nice 10 miler on Saturday morning. I'm actually still not sure where I'll run that one. Probably the river loop with some add ons, but we shall see. Perhaps I'll run the part of the marathon course that I haven't tackled yet through Fairmount Park near the zoo.

4 miles - 33:40 (8:25 pace)