I've been running a ton, but it has been mostly long, slow trail miles. I also did some shorter faster track workouts. With the hot summer weather, I wasn't able to get any quality faster and longer stuff though. Heading into this weekend's Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Philadelphia, I had no feel for what to expect.
I needed a run at half marathon effort to see what pace that would produce. I wanted to do that last week, but I put it off. I decided to do it today. The plan was a mile warmup and cooldown with 4-6 miles at half marathon pace in the middle.
It was nice and super cool in the evening when I started. I had dinner and hour earlier, so I wasn't sure if the food would be settled, but I had no problems. I wore a sleeveless shirt and that seemed to work out great. I was sweating by the end, but felt awesome and cool. I hope this weather is here to stay and that it makes an appearance on race day.
I began the run from Riverview Park, right before 7 PM. I took the first few strides and knew it was going to be an awesome day. I've been off of roads for the most part over the last month. I also only ran 4 miles on Sunday and none yesterday. The legs haven't felt that fresh in a long time. I hope to feel this way on Sunday.
I headed out toward Easton. I began easy and enjoyed it. I passed a few people out on the path. Everyone was enjoying a nice night out, even on the remote section. The opening easy mile was a 7:28. I'm usually much, much slower than that to begin.
I then turned things up. I continued to feel great. There is some minor soreness in the inside of my calf, but I don't think it is a big deal. It sure didn't hold me back. I was flying along the canal path. Since my Garmin Forerunner 405 isn't working, I've been using my Garmin Forerunner 10. That is cheaper and only displays two things. It was only showing me overall distance and time. I would've needed to calculate the pace.
I knew this was fast, but I wasn't quite sure how fast this mile was. I didn't feel like figuring it out either. When I came through mile 2, it clicked off with a 6:26.
I was so thrilled with how quick this was that I almost didn't bother running any more. I continued on though. I figured that I would at least bang out another fast half mile. My breathing was only slightly labored at this point. I certainly had a lot more in the tank.
I continued on. I passed a few people along the river. One of them was fishing. I went past the Forks of the Delaware. I headed south on the towpath.
I saw two people walking their dogs up ahead. As I got closer, I realized that it was my friend Sarah and her husband Adam. I said hello, but felt bad that I was flying and didn't have time to chat.
I hit mile 3 shortly after this point. It was a 6:24 mile. Again, I was thrilled. I thought about continuing on. Then, I decided to turn around and head back. Darkness was beginning to creep in.
With two outstanding miles in and feeling great, I knew I could keep it up. However, I decided that I accomplished all that I was hoping for. I just wanted to get a feel for what half marathon pace felt like. I did exactly that. There was no point in pounding the legs for more.
I came back past Sarah and Adam. This time I was running slower, so I could say a few words. I was cruising back along now and feeling great. I was thrilled with how this run was going. Easy mile 4 became a 7:25.
It was now growing very dark. A guy was walking on the path and not paying attention. I think I startled him as I ran by. I wasn't quite sure on the pace with my watch and I actually liked it that way. That might be good for my half marathon. Too often, I rely too much on my watch's pace. Near Hugh Moore Park, I hit mile 5. That was a slightly faster 7:16.
I headed back to Riverview. I was cruising along and it was very dark by now. I had to be careful when crossing the road. After that, I hammered up the short hill. I was glad to see some street lamps near Riverview. I didn't know how to work my watch's light, so that was very helpful. I finished up with a nice 7:03 final mile.
This was such and awesome run. I felt great and cool. Now, I'm very confident, heading into the half marathon this weekend. I'm also very thrilled about the fall weather that is arriving. It will only get better too. I can't wait to see my times improve.
Tomorrow, I'm getting back on trails. I'd like to travel if I can. Maybe I'll go to High Point State Park in New Jersey. I have been wanting to visit there for some time. That should give me some climbing. It is supposed to be cool again too. I look forward to a fun remainder of the week. I'll take it pretty easy too.
6 miles - 42:02 (7:00 pace)
No comments:
Post a Comment