I had a solid week, so I needed only 6 miles on Saturday to get to 70 for the week. I considered the BCR group run, but I'm never consistent when it comes to going there. I wasn't crazy about running through what I thought might be sloppy conditions at the Boat Launch. I did set my alarm and wasn't actually tired when it went off, but I went back to sleep anyway.
I had a backup plan. Emily wasn't planning on going either, so I suggested that we meet up to run later. I met her and her dog at Mill Race Park at noon. Both of us were running 6 miles, although she had a head start because she began at her home.
When I got out of the car, I realized that I didn't need my fleece and even with my normal winter gear, I was overdressed. There was a little breeze and I got chilly standing there waiting for her, but I it was relatively warm. It was still probably barely in the 40s, but that feels like paradise compared to what we've had all winter. A lot of people were out walking and taking advantage of it.
When she arrived, we headed out to Tatamy. Most of that path was clear, until we got to the stone section. Then it was partially snow covered and sloppy. We ran past the end of the path and over the bridge to a baseball field before turning around. That first mile went rather quickly.
I was hoping to push myself today and Emily wanted to go easy. We kind of met in between as we clicked off most of the miles around a 7:30 pace. That pace didn't bother her dog. I was also glad he didn't mind running with me this time. Last time I tried to run with them, he tried to jump all over me during the run.
We were in a groove for a bit. Then, the dog decided to stop and go to the bathroom. Emily stopped and I slowed down, but kept running. They eventually caught up. He did the same thing 2 more times. I felt bad for Emily having to run harder to catch me, so finally the last time, I ran ahead and then back to them.
We crossed the road at Penn Pump Park and went over the nearby footbridge. We turned around right after that. Time flew by for the rest of the run. Emily let me run with the dog to see how fast he would be willing to run, but when I picked up the pace, he was more interested in trying to eat his leash.
They finished up and went back to her house. I continued on for the final mile. I decided to push it in the final .4 miles. I ran quite hard on the uphill and finished with a 6:48 mile. I was soaked by the end of the run and it was a good workout.
When I got home, I saw that my miles for the week added up to 69.99. Being a numbers guy, that is the kind of thing that bothers me. Therefore, when I got back after 3 basketball games, I went for a night run. Maybe it was just me looking for another excuse to run.
This time, it was a bit colder after dark. There was no wind though, so the 33 degrees didn't feel too bad. It was after 10 PM. I couldn't do a super short run, so I opted for 3 more easy miles. The plan was to run a loop around my neighborhood, then go to the other neighborhood and maybe even run down at the school.
I went around my neighborhood quickly and felt good. I had on my headlamp, but dark clothes, so I had to watch for cars. I saw 2 on that first loop, but that ended up being it.
I wanted to go down the school, but I saw two cop cars in the parking lot. Rather than run there and explain what I was doing or even get chased, I played it safe and stayed in my neighborhood. It was another uneventful loop. I looked at my watch fairly often.
After 2 loops and 2 miles were done in the neighborhood, I figured I might as well finish up there. I ran one more easy, quick loop. I decided to make it 3.01 miles long, so that I'd end the week on an even number. Instead, I am now at 73.01 miles. That is annoying, but at least I'm over 70 now. That run also made this my longest week of running ever.
Tomorrow, I'm meeting Laurie and a bunch of people at South Mountain in Emmaus for a 10 AM trail run. I don't go there often, so it should be fun. It is supposed to rain a lot tomorrow, so the run could get muddy. I don't mind though. It should be a good way to start the week and maybe my legs will enjoy the softness of the trail.
AM run - 6 miles - 44:53 (7:29 pace)
PM run - 3.01 miles - 25:43 (8:33 pace)
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