For the morning run, I decided to stay close and head to Jacobsburg. It has been awhile since I've been there. I'm not on trails much anymore either. Rather than run the normal loop, I decided to run it in reverse. I started at the Environmental Center, but headed north rather than south. This was a little tough because the beginning is a small climb. My legs were feeling it and it took awhile to get going.
The first mile was a warmup, but I started to feel good toward the end of it. Going the opposite direction really made me think about where I was and how to get from one trail to the other. I've run so much in the other direction that it is second nature. As I was in the horse section of the trail, I went too far and over a bridge. I backtracked and ran along the creek.This is a nice and winding singletrack. Even though it was cool out again, for some reason I was interested in crossing the creek. I found the trail that went over the creek and quickly headed there. As I was crossing it, I felt the very cold water engulf my feet. I began thinking this wasn't such a good idea. I was only about 1.5 miles into this 4 or 5 mile run.
Before I knew it, my feet were no longer chilled and they were back to normal (although still soaked). It is amazing how little impact a water crossing really has. Maybe in December it will be a different story. This next section is a flat path. It seems like an old railroad bed. I hit the two mile mark and started heading back toward the start.
I had to stop and wait for a couple mountain bikers. Thankfully, that is all I saw on the trail. There were no horses. Those are always a pain in the butt. I thought I was going to the right way to get over to the road crossings, but I wasn't quite sure now that I was heading the opposite way.
I was correct and found the road crossing. I went through the section that was normally muddy and it didn't seem too bad. I wasn't quite where I thought I was though as I eventually came to that very muddy section. That was fun, but I navigated around it. This section was a little tough because there are some uphills. I was going at a fairly easy pace though.
One thing that made this direction so tough was the sunlight peeking through the trees. It was in my face this time and that made it difficult to see the rocks, roots and mud. I managed to get through without falling. Before I knew it I was back on the wider trail section and nearly headed home.
There were some more up and down parts, but this section is fast. I cruised along. I did miss my turn and came across a small construction vehicle. I think he was fixing the trail. I turned around to go the right way. This worked out okay because I needed some extra distance anyway.
I was then back in the parking lot. I was over half a mile short of 5 miles. I kept going out along the flat and fast path. It was nice and peaceful in this area for a change. Usually in the summer, it is full of kids playing in the creek. It was too cold for that today and I'm sure most of them are in school now anyway. I finished up in this area and walked back to my car.
For the evening run, I decided to head to the Finish Line. I haven't run with the group there in awhile. It is far for me to go, plus I usually do speedwork the following morning. Since my race isn't until tomorrow night, I decided that going there would be a good idea.
We ended up running a route that I've never run before. I know Emmaus a little, but I'm not too comfortable with the area. It is so far west in the Lehigh Valley that I've never spent much time there. The group of 6 of us headed out north of the store. For the first half mile or so, we were altogether.
I didn't take long for Aaron to take off. He's fast, so I figured he would do that. Of course, me being me, I had to follow. I knew I had to be smart and not run too hard or I would jeopardize tomorrow's race. I let Aaron go and pulled away from everyone else. I kept Aaron in my sights though. That didn't last all that long.
We went by Pool Wildlife Sanctuary. After that came a steep hill with a curve to it. I hate roads like this because you don't know where the top is and how much to push. The first mile was under 8 minutes and fairly fast. This hill did slow me some, but my pace was still pretty quick as I was tracking Aaron.
When I got to the top of the hill, I lost him. I figured that he probably went left, but I wasn't sure. Since I didn't know where I was, the only option was to slow down and wait for the others. I did that and they correctly told pointed me to the left.
That was a nice downhill for awhile. Then I came to the Country Club. They had also told me to turn right on that road, so I did just that. Again, it was another uphill. This one wasn't as steep as the other one, but longer. There wasn't much of a shoulder either. An old car passed by me, luckily he did so slowly.
I couldn't see Aaron and I lost the group behind me too. I was in no man's land. At this point, I had no idea where I was going. I was just hoping for something familiar. I then came to Keystone. That was the road that they talked about before the run, so I knew I had that correct. The only problem was which way to go. I took a right through the neighborhood.
It turns out I was correct. I wasn't so sure at first because it changed names. I kept going anyway. I didn't have a lot of options. It was either that or turn around or wait for the others. I just continued on.
I came to Keystone again and this time I wasn't sure. We had gone so many directions that I didn't know which was the correct one. I first went to the right. Then I decided that maybe the left would be better. Luckily, I saw the group behind me at this point and they pointed me in the correct direction (to the left).
Shortly after I was back on Keystone, I recognized the area. I wasn't 100% sure, but I thought it came out on Main Street. I began to wonder a little as the road seemed to go on and on. With South Mountain in front of me, I knew I wouldn't get too lost. My pace had slowed at this point and was now over 8 minutes. With no one to run with, it dropped down. That was fine because I didn't need to overdo it.
I finally came out on Main Street and headed toward the store. I was near 4.25 miles as I got to the store, so I kept going. I ran south and then west of the store for a short out and back. I had some sun glare going west. There was a hill while I went south, so I turned and headed west again before turning around. I finished up just short of the store and everyone was already back in there relaxing. I ran 5 miles and completed a 10 mile day.
It was a great double run day. I plan on doing more of these in the winter and spring. Once I start getting to 80+ miles a week, they will be crucial. I should throw them in every now and then. My legs are starting to get sore. My quads are stiff and my ankles are as well. I might need to stretch and massage them more. I'm definitely feeling the effects of the high mileage.
I mainly want to run the race tomorrow to boost my confidence. As long as I run under 22 minutes, I'll be happy. Even though this course isn't pancake flat, I don't think that should be too difficult. It is a Couples' Relay where each partner runs a 5k and the times are added together. I'm just going to run it solo and take photos of the other race. I'm hoping my dad will photograph my race.
AM 5 miles - 45:09 (9:01 pace)
PM 5 miles - 40:27 (8:05 pace)
No comments:
Post a Comment