The BCR ran on a hard surface, so I passed on that run today. I was considering getting up and running at Trexler with a group there. However, it just rained too much beforehand for my liking. I wasn't crazy about 10 tough miles through slop. Instead, I just waited until the afternoon to get my run in.
I was on Facebook around lunch time and it seemed like everyone I knew was posting photos of their Christmas themed runs. That did help me get out the door. I wasn't crazy about running alone, but 10 miles isn't too bad.
The temperature rose to a nice 45 degrees when I started. The rained ended in the morning, but it never did clear up. It was still a cloudy and dreary day. I could wear my shorts and a short sleeve shirt though, so I was happy.
I thought about running at some new places, but I didn't want to go too far. I opted to run on the D&L Trail. Instead of starting at Cementon, I decided to head to the Cove Road Trailhead. I've run through there, but I haven't started from there too often.
I went back and forth trying to decide which direction to start out with. Eventually I would head each way. It was just a matter of whether I wanted to begin with the easier southern section or immediately climb the hill going north.
I opted to head south. That would allow me a good warmup mile which would be slightly downhill. I run this section the most, so the plan was to do 2 miles out and 2 miles back and then head north for the final 6 miles.
As usual, the first mile was on the slow side. I was happy that it came in just under 8:40. I ran yesterday, so the quads were slightly sore. My left foot was too. I got some new insoles, but I was afraid to try them out on such a long run. I figured that I could just deal with any discomfort.
Early on, I passed a house and a dog barked at me and moved towards me. I was thankful that it didn't leave the property and chase me. I love this slight downhill section that I was running. It made my legs feel so much better and the run was a joy early on. I just cruised along comfortably.
I felt so good that when I hit mile 2, I just decided to keep going. I figured that I could get to 2.5 miles and be halfway done when I got back to my car or I could go out even further and complete a full 6 miles before I hit the Cove Road Trailhead again.
My pace steadily dropped. About fourth tenths of a mile from the 3 mile marker, I passed a guy running the other way. I was hoping that I could catch him eventually. I knew he had a good jump on me though. I never did find him.
I got to mile 3 and turned around. It was immediately difficult running the other direction. All of a sudden, I was running a slight uphill. I knew this would be the case until about mile 8 or so. I just had to dig in and enjoy the run as much as I could. I saw a bike with an annoying flashing light up ahead. I didn't want it in my eyes, so I kept my head down. When the bike passed, the guy said "hi" and seemed overly enthusiastic. I thought that was odd. Then I realized that it was Peter that used to come to the LVRR Group runs in the summer and fall. So few people were out today and I happened to see someone that I know.
Even though this section was a slight uphill, the pace continued to drop. The 4th mile was a solid 8:12. The 5th mile even dropped under 8 minutes. It was uphill and a bit of a struggle, but I just tried to focus on getting to mile 6.
Sometime around the 5th mile, I came to a guy riding one of those bikes where you are almost laying on your back. He turned around just before he go to me. I knew following him would make for a good pacemaker. He was going faster than me, but not by too much. I was worried that he would get to the house with the dog before I did. He did and the dog barked at both of us. It didn't chase this time either. With my pacemaker, this 6th mile was 7:43.
I was now back to my car and it was time to work. I just focused on the next two miles and getting up the hill. It's not a steep hill, but it is definitely noticeable early on. As I naturally do, I worked a little harder and my pace dropped. I kept battling and battling. I did feel like I was working more.
That 7th mile did seem long. I looked at my watch a lot going to the 8th mile. I definitely worked harder during this one. I knew I'd have a lot of downhill to the finish. That mile before the turnaround was a nice 7:30.
My pace was just a few seconds over 8 minutes as I headed into the final 2 miles. It had gone down and down throughout the run. By now, my legs weren't sore at all and I felt good. I did feel lightheaded when I woke up today and I felt the same way as I turned around. It almost felt like I might fall to the left. The trail was leaning that way a little, but I felt odd. This mile seemed to be a struggle. Maybe I wasn't really going downhill.
As I got into the last mile, I checked my watch frequently. I was struggling some by this point. I guess I was finally getting tired. With seven tenths of a mile left, I picked up the pace. My GPS watch wasn't working right as I looked down and my pace went up. Going downhill, my overall pace finally went under 8 minutes. I continued to push through the finish and I was winded when I was done. The 7:19 last mile was definitely tough.
Since I didn't run on Thursday and I wasn't around any hills on Friday, I ran my 5 hill repeats after this run. Those were so difficult on my tired and beat up legs. It was good to get them done though. This was a great workout.
I'm not sure when I'll run next. I need tomorrow off, so I'll just likely run on Monday. My legs seem a little better than they have been. I need to stay on the soft surfaces and continue stretching, massaging and strengthening my legs.
10 miles - 1:19:26 (7:57 pace)
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