I was planning on the usual long run on Monday. However, we are going to be super busy at work on Thanksgiving, so I stayed later than usual to get things together. I could've rushed in a run before dinner, but instead, I just headed out at night.
I figured that I wouldn't run long after dark, but I at least wanted to run 10-12 miles. I'm getting kind of sick of the Nor-Bath Trail, so I decided to run the Palmer Bike Path, starting at Mill Race Park.
The wind is much less than yesterday, but it was still pretty cold, especially after dark. It was in the mid 20s. With no wind, I just went with a ColdGear top, tights, gloves and a hat. I wanted to wear my headband, but apparently I dropped it on the walkway in front of my house.
The plan was to run out about 6 miles and then run back. I wasn't sure if I would quite make it there because I'd have to run some hills. Early on, I sort of thought about running the full loop around Easton, but that didn't last. I don't run on pavement much, so I didn't know what to expect and I was sore fairly early.
There was a slight headwind early on, but it wasn't much. I tried to take it nice and easy. I still got quite hot and sweaty. The flat section until I got to Hackett's Park was nice and relaxing. It was over 2.5 miles until the point. After a slow first mile, I ran the next couple near an 8 minute pace.
I went up the Hackett's Park hill slowly. It is quite steep though, so I was breathing fairly heavy by the top. This section had a lot of elevation change. Pounding the pavement and climbing was hard on my legs. I was hoping that maybe they could handle pavement better than they do stone trails. I guess they did, but it wasn't great. This was nowhere near as good as the Nor-Bath Trail is for them. I definitely need some new shoes. Maybe that will help the legs out.
I ran downhill after Hackett's Park. This was cool because there is a bridge over Route 22. It was fun running over that in the dark with all of the cars' headlights. After that section, there was more downhill and a road crossing. Then I was running behind the bakery.
I decided that if I could cross Northampton Street without any issues, I'd do just that. That is exactly what happened. I ran through the next section by the old Dixie Cup factory. A saw a cat run down the trail at this point.
The section around Easton High School can get quite busy. I figured that it wasn't worth trying to cross all those roads at night. I turned around before I got to 25th Street. I was at 4.6 miles. I'd have to add a few miles when I got back.
I tried to focus on just making it up the steep hill to Hackett's Park. After that, everything would be flat. There is a park right before the pedestrian bridge over Route 22. I saw what I thought was a dog in the park. I then realized that it was a deer. I looked over and there must've been 8-10 deer in one of the fields. That was neat.
After the bridge, the climb was difficult. It is a switchback section with the middle third being very long and gradual. It seemed to go on forever and ever. I was breathing so hard by the top. I hit mile 6 at that point. I kind of couldn't believe I was only halfway done with my planned miles.
I ran on the road through Hackett's the first time, but this time I was wiser. I ran through the park itself and avoided the cars. Going downhill was nice. Before long, I was back onto the flat part. I saw another deer by the Crayola Factory.
I just cruised along. The remainder of the run was mostly uneventful. I just focused on the next mile and tried to be consistent. At one point, I ran an 8:08 mile, then another 8:08 one and finally an 8:09. That was exactly what I wanted to do.
I got back to Mill Race Park at mile 9.2. I figured that I would run to the end of the trail at Tatamy and back. I'd still need some distance. I saw another deer along the creek just past Mill Race Park. When I got to Tatamy, part of the trail is stone and my legs liked the change.
I turned around at 10.2 miles and headed back. I now knew I'd need .8 miles to finish up from the end of Mill Race Park. I was back at the park soon and then I ran a short out and back on the other side of the road. I wasn't crazy about doing this because it would be an uphill finish, but it was a short distance.
I turned around at 11.5 miles. I would run to the the far end of Mill Race Park to finish up. I didn't run hard, but I pushed the pace slightly. I ran the final mile, with some uphill, in 7:27. It was good to be done with a solid workout.
Tomorrow, I'd like to do a long run. Maybe something in the range of 17-20 miles. It'll probably be on the Nor-Bath Trail, so that my legs can handle it. I get kind of bored with really long solo runs, so I'm thinking I might focus on running the final 5 miles or so with a moderate effort. At some point, I'll need to start incorporating some sort of speed element into my running anyway.
12 miles - 1:37:31 (8:08 pace)
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