I wanted to run on Wednesday evening after I was done watching IndyCar testing at Pocono. However, as I was leaving the track, thunderstorms were approaching. That was disappointing because I missed a chance to work on speed. I'll do that tomorrow instead.
Tonight was my 2nd run of 3 runs of the St. Luke's Half Marathon course. It was the regular LVRR Group Run night. We started this time in the parking lot across from the Parkette's. This wasn't the best place to run since it was mostly along busy MLK Blvd. It had to be done though to complete the course.
Allen, who had been out the last two weeks, showed up again. He was the only one from last week to return. That means we'll have no one run the full series that is actually running the race. The weather was cool and it looked like it might storm, so that probably kept some people away.
We did have one other runner. A young lady named Ashley. She had asked on facebook if the runs were still going on. I was glad to see her come out. I had to laugh when she said she runs an 8 minute pace for shorter runs and didn't want to hold anyone back with how slow she is. If anything, it would be the opposite. People just don't understand the pace of group runs I guess.
We decided not to head east to the turnaround point. We weren't that far away from it. We ran west on the paved path that goes to the pool. After that, we were on busy MLK Blvd. The first mile had me breathing a bit heavy as we pushed quite hard. It was an 8:02.
At one point, there wasn't really any good place to run along the road, so we crossed the street. That was a little challenging. The second mile was even faster at 7:53. After those two, I could tell Ashley was struggling some, so we slowed it down a bit. I try to just run as fast as the fastest people can handle. It was just a normal run day pace for me.
We got to the road into the parkway and kept going. Even though we ran this section last week, I decided to let Ashley dictate how much of the course she wanted to see. On St. Elmo Street, she wanted to keep going. I figured we would run to Yocco's and turn around.
I could tell some of the hills were tough. We all chatted a bit, but it wasn't easy to do with all the traffic and the brisk pace. Most of the time, the two of them ran behind me. The temperature actually turned out to be perfect for running.
This is going to be Ashley's first half marathon, so I was surprised that we kept going and going. We crossed the road in front of Yocco's and ran all the way to the finish. Running through Cedar Beach was nice and pleasant. We ran into a couple people that Allen knew there.
As we turned onto Linden Street, we hit a headwind. That wasn't much fun. Since I was leading the way, I blocked the wind. Allen and Emmaus were having a track meet, so we were able to run up the short hill into the stadium. We couldn't run on the track of course, unless we wanted to run in the 800 meter race. Although if we did that, we probably could've beaten the Allen runners.
Rather than going all the way back through Cedar Beach via the course route, we took a shortcut through the park. We didn't have too much trouble crossing back in front of Yocco's. The hills weren't a lot of fun and I could tell that they were taking their toll on my group.
We then made it back onto MLK Blvd. This time, we were running into a headwind the rest of the way back. Again, I was blocking the wind. I was impressed that Ashley kept wanting to go on. She was determined to see a lot of course. She seemed like a tough gal.
This time, we crossed over onto the other side of the road much sooner. It was a lot safer. This area sure isn't the best place to run. It was good to be back onto the path. We finished up a little faster than we had been with an 8:23 mile and an 8:21 partial mile. The run was just under 7 miles.
I actually thought this was going to be a very easy and slow run. It wasn't hard by my standards, but definitely a little challenging. I had considered trying to squeeze my fast run in this afternoon, but I just didn't have time. After seeing how far and fast this run was, I'm glad I didn't.
I'd love to get up tomorrow morning and bike. I really need to start riding more often and I think that could be a good recovery. I am working tomorrow and will definitely be running 800 repeats in the afternoon. I hope to get 7 of them done.
With this run being longer than I expected, my mile will bump up quite a bit this week. I am starting to get sore and might consider getting a massage soon. My sister got me a gift card for one for Christmas and I haven't used it yet. I've been waiting until my body really needed it and it seems like now is close to that time.
6.80 miles - 58:10 (8:33 pace)
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Saucon Night Run
I realized that after a hard day yesterday, it wasn't wise to bike in the morning and running at Trexler (even a short distance), would be counterproductive. I opted instead to run later in the day. Originally, I headed out to Jacobsburg in the late afternoon. I didn't have much time to get in the 6 miles or so that I wanted to run before dinner. As I was driving around the area, I saw a bunch of horses. I didn't want to have to deal with running around them, so I headed home.
It is great that we finally have good weather. Today, it was over 80 degrees. I think they said that Philly had a record high. The thing I don't like is all the people that suddenly come out of the woodwork. One nice thing about winter running is that I usually have things all to myself.
I had a LVRR Group Run Meeting after dinner, so I had to get the run done after that. That is no problem for me. I love nighttime runs. Someone at the meeting asked me if I was worried about running in the dark. It doesn't bother me at all, especially where I planned on going. I headed out to the Saucon Rail Trail and parked on the street near the Water Street Park.
This is one of the best places to run at night. It starts at a fairly populated area that is well lit, for a trail anyway. It then goes by a lot of fancy million dollar homes. It can't get much safer than that. I started off just before 9 PM.
I was also glad to be running at this time because it was certainly much cooler. It was perfect. Earlier in the day was kind of annoying with both the heat and some wind. Now, there was just a nice and cool breeze.
I headed south as I always do. I was amazed at how great I felt in the beginning. My one hamstring was a bit sore, but other than that, I couldn't have felt better. I thought I would be beat up after a long run and bike ride yesterday. Maybe wearing compression sleeves all day helped. Maybe the bike ride was an excellent recovery tool. Whatever the case, I felt great.
I just cruised along. This path is great not only because it is lit, but the stones they use are lightly colored. You can easily see the trail, even in the dark. I didn't pack my headlamp with me. I wish I had.
I felt like I was flying, but my times did say otherwise. Still, I didn't actually care about my pace. Going out was harder anyway. I just enjoyed the peacefulness of the run. At times, I ran along the creek and could hear the water. Last time I ran here at night, I did encounter another runner. Tonight, I was all alone for the duration of the workout. That allowed me plenty of time to be with my thoughts.
Even though I run here a lot, some of the order of where everything is still does confuse me a little. It is kind of surprising. The road crossings here aren't too bad, so I managed to get over them without a problem. At one point, I thought I came close to stepping on something. It was either a cat that didn't move, another animal playing dead, maybe a dead animal or just something else. Either way, it didn't budge.
Most of the time, I just heard my watch click as I reached another mile. I had to light it up to see where I was, so I didn't do that too often. That sure made the run fly by. Before I knew it, I was into Upper Saucon Township and on different stone. That was the 2 mile point.
It was neat looking at a lot of the houses. Most of the fancy ones have big decks and huge windows on the back. There is one house that has landscaping signs. I have seen it before. At night, the yard was all lit up and they even had Christmas Lights on one tree. That was cool.
As I approached mile 3, I crossed over one of the roads. I noticed that there was a flashing light on the road to alert cars of a person approaching the crossing. The car I was near just ignored it. This setup was cool because I never saw these before. They aren't as noticeable in the daytime.
I got to mile 3 and was still feeling great. I figured I could handle another half mile. I did just that. I thought about going out to 4 miles, but 3.5 miles was enough. I turned around just past that point. I would be running 7 miles now.
I cruised along on the way back. I was still feeling good, but became a little more sore as I went along. I tried to just focus on getting to the one road crossing. I knew whenever I got there it would be mile 5.5. This is more of a bike crossing than a road.
I crossed both roads that had warning lights. These would probably be better served on the two crossings in downtown Hellertown, but there is nothing there. Maybe they would become too annoying.
I heard a dog bark at one point, but luckily it was far away. Getting back to the lights of Hellertown within the last mile was good. Most of my miles were around an 8:10 pace. Two of them were under 8 minutes. It was a nice and fast finish thanks to the downhill of the trail.
I finished up and walked around a little. My legs were mildly sore. It was a great run. My body just loves late day runs. I guess because I am loosened up at that point. I guess I was meant to run at night. When I start running double sessions, I'll probably do this more often.
Tomorrow is a busy day. I'm not sure if I'm working or not, but afterward, I plan on heading to Pocono Raceway. They are having a free IndyCar test session. That should be fun. Hopefully I don't arrive too late. Somehow I'll squeeze in a run too. It will likely occur up there and after the test. I would like to do some speedwork, but we will see what happens. I don't know how long the test will be. I may have to run in the dark again.
7 miles - 57:48 (8:16 pace)
It is great that we finally have good weather. Today, it was over 80 degrees. I think they said that Philly had a record high. The thing I don't like is all the people that suddenly come out of the woodwork. One nice thing about winter running is that I usually have things all to myself.
I had a LVRR Group Run Meeting after dinner, so I had to get the run done after that. That is no problem for me. I love nighttime runs. Someone at the meeting asked me if I was worried about running in the dark. It doesn't bother me at all, especially where I planned on going. I headed out to the Saucon Rail Trail and parked on the street near the Water Street Park.
This is one of the best places to run at night. It starts at a fairly populated area that is well lit, for a trail anyway. It then goes by a lot of fancy million dollar homes. It can't get much safer than that. I started off just before 9 PM.
I was also glad to be running at this time because it was certainly much cooler. It was perfect. Earlier in the day was kind of annoying with both the heat and some wind. Now, there was just a nice and cool breeze.
I headed south as I always do. I was amazed at how great I felt in the beginning. My one hamstring was a bit sore, but other than that, I couldn't have felt better. I thought I would be beat up after a long run and bike ride yesterday. Maybe wearing compression sleeves all day helped. Maybe the bike ride was an excellent recovery tool. Whatever the case, I felt great.
I just cruised along. This path is great not only because it is lit, but the stones they use are lightly colored. You can easily see the trail, even in the dark. I didn't pack my headlamp with me. I wish I had.
I felt like I was flying, but my times did say otherwise. Still, I didn't actually care about my pace. Going out was harder anyway. I just enjoyed the peacefulness of the run. At times, I ran along the creek and could hear the water. Last time I ran here at night, I did encounter another runner. Tonight, I was all alone for the duration of the workout. That allowed me plenty of time to be with my thoughts.
Even though I run here a lot, some of the order of where everything is still does confuse me a little. It is kind of surprising. The road crossings here aren't too bad, so I managed to get over them without a problem. At one point, I thought I came close to stepping on something. It was either a cat that didn't move, another animal playing dead, maybe a dead animal or just something else. Either way, it didn't budge.
Most of the time, I just heard my watch click as I reached another mile. I had to light it up to see where I was, so I didn't do that too often. That sure made the run fly by. Before I knew it, I was into Upper Saucon Township and on different stone. That was the 2 mile point.
It was neat looking at a lot of the houses. Most of the fancy ones have big decks and huge windows on the back. There is one house that has landscaping signs. I have seen it before. At night, the yard was all lit up and they even had Christmas Lights on one tree. That was cool.
As I approached mile 3, I crossed over one of the roads. I noticed that there was a flashing light on the road to alert cars of a person approaching the crossing. The car I was near just ignored it. This setup was cool because I never saw these before. They aren't as noticeable in the daytime.
I got to mile 3 and was still feeling great. I figured I could handle another half mile. I did just that. I thought about going out to 4 miles, but 3.5 miles was enough. I turned around just past that point. I would be running 7 miles now.
I cruised along on the way back. I was still feeling good, but became a little more sore as I went along. I tried to just focus on getting to the one road crossing. I knew whenever I got there it would be mile 5.5. This is more of a bike crossing than a road.
I crossed both roads that had warning lights. These would probably be better served on the two crossings in downtown Hellertown, but there is nothing there. Maybe they would become too annoying.
I heard a dog bark at one point, but luckily it was far away. Getting back to the lights of Hellertown within the last mile was good. Most of my miles were around an 8:10 pace. Two of them were under 8 minutes. It was a nice and fast finish thanks to the downhill of the trail.
I finished up and walked around a little. My legs were mildly sore. It was a great run. My body just loves late day runs. I guess because I am loosened up at that point. I guess I was meant to run at night. When I start running double sessions, I'll probably do this more often.
Tomorrow is a busy day. I'm not sure if I'm working or not, but afterward, I plan on heading to Pocono Raceway. They are having a free IndyCar test session. That should be fun. Hopefully I don't arrive too late. Somehow I'll squeeze in a run too. It will likely occur up there and after the test. I would like to do some speedwork, but we will see what happens. I don't know how long the test will be. I may have to run in the dark again.
7 miles - 57:48 (8:16 pace)
Monday, April 8, 2013
Long Run and Bike Ride with Some Excellent Weather
Battling through all those harsh winter days, I knew eventually spring would arrive. It has gone crazy in fact. The temperature today jumped into the 70s. Perfect for some outdoor fun.
I was going to do my weekly long run on Sunday, but I was just so busy. I had planned to take today off, so instead I just switched the days around. I took off yesterday and ran my 16 miler today.
I didn't have much of a window to fit the run in today either. When you plan on running for over 2 hours, it can sometimes be tough to find the time. I ran right after work and just before the Nazareth track meet. Of course I went with shorts and I even pulled out the LVRR singlet too on this warm day.
As usual, I went to the D&L to run. It is right down the street from work, so that is perfect. I started at the Cove Road Trailhead. As I was beginning the run, a couple with a baby and two dogs were starting a walk. The one dog, Rufus, was really friendly. He let me go eventually. They told me he would probably want to run with me. Luckily, he didn't follow.
I started off heading north. This part is uphill. I certainly didn't feel terrible in the beginning, but I could've felt better. I just cruised along. I really had no idea how far out I wanted to go (at least 3 miles). The first mile was a comfortable 8:12. I got a little faster after that.
My legs weren't too bad once they warmed up. The path seems to slope towards the river and it felt awkward. I carried on. Mile 2 was a faster 8:06. In general, my pace was just over 8 minutes for most of the beginning of the run.
I tried to tell myself to slow down because it was significantly hotter than it has been. It would also be awhile until I got a drink. I kept thinking I needed to slow down, but going uphill I ended up working a little harder and didn't slow at all.
Miles 3 and 4 were both actually under an 8 minute pace. At mile 3, I passed the horses and their stable. I came up on a cute woman and was hoping I'd see her when I turned around, but that didn't happen. There were a lot people out walking and biking. I saw some of the people on bikes over and over again.
Since I was feeling good at mile 3, I kept going. I just wanted to get out to 3.5 miles and turnaround. When I got there, I decided to make it 4 miles. As I hit the 4 mile point, I decided to turnaround at 4.5 miles. That is finally what I did.
I was getting somewhat thirsty, so maybe I would've benefited by turning around earlier. At this point, I would arrive back and my car at 9 miles. That would have me over halfway done with the run.
Miles 5, 6, and 7 were tough. I couldn't believe how far I had to go. I was just thankful it was a nice spring day. That helped make things easier. I actually wasn't sweating too much. My legs weren't strong, but they were okay.
Finally, I made it to the 8 mile point. I was pretty beat at this point and couldn't believe I was only halfway done. I had no idea how I would finish the run. I ran past the couple and the dogs and they commented that I had lapped them. I told them I was only halfway done. I saw them again later and they had walked for almost 2 hours. I was impressed.
One other interesting thing happened as I was about a mile out from my car. There is a house along the trail with a lot of junk in the yard. A guy was out working in the yard and I heard a rooster call. I then saw 2 of them in his yard. That isn't something you come across everyday.
Seeing the Route 145 bridge within the last mile to the car was a big boost. I knew I was about to grab some Gatorade. Mile 9 was actually a 7:55 pace and my overall pace at this point was right around 8 minutes flat.
I stopped briefly at the car and finished my bottle of Gatorade. I didn't want to stand there too long, so I headed back out quickly. This time around, I started running much slower. I wanted to survive the run.
One thing that make it so difficult is that there are no leaves on the trees yet. The sun is beating down. I ended up with some sunburn.
From this point on, every quarter of a mile was even a struggle. I thought going downhill in the southern direction would make it easier, but it didn't. My legs were starting to get sore. I hadn't even hit 10 miles, but I felt like I was nearly at 16 miles. I wondered how I could keep going.
I went by the house that usually has annoying dogs, but they weren't out. I just kept hoping to go another half mile. I really didn't want to go too far though and struggle to get back. I figured that a few short out and back runs would make the run more manageable. In the end, it didn't matter. It was difficult no matter how you slice it.
I wanted to go out 2 miles, but 1.5 miles ended up being enough. I sputtered along. It seemed like forever to get back to the car again. Most of my miles were now between 8:30 and 9 minutes. All were under 9 minutes.
I got back to the car and took just a small amount more of my Gatorade. I couldn't believe I still had 4 miles left. I felt like I was lucky if I could make it through 2 more miles. I just battled on.
I headed north again. I was just planning on one mile out and one mile back and then I'd head in the other direction again. I did that, but I talked myself into another half mile. That was a struggle.
Coming back was so slow. I knew I had to at least make it back to the car. That would be 15 miles. That would match my long run from 2 weeks ago. I looked at my watch at what seemed like every .1 miles. The run dragged on and on.
Finally, I was back and the car and exhausted. I knew I could somehow manage another mile though. I wanted to run .75 miles out and .25 miles back. I plugged along. As I approached .5 miles, I saw a different couple with a dog up ahead. I didn't want to deal with that, so I just turned around earlier than I would've liked. I struggled back uphill to the car, but I made it and finished up under the bridge with 16 miles.
It was so rewarding to finish the run. I decided to take even more advantage of the weather and ride my bike after dinner. I just wanted an easy recovery ride. That was perfect because I when to Mill Race Park and biked for 6 easy miles. That gave me a solid 30 minutes of recovery riding.
It was an exhausting day and I'll sleep well tonight. I'd like to run at Trexler tomorrow. After the long run today, I'm not going to shoot for running the whole loop. I'll save that for the weekend. I'd also like to bike again. I do have a LVRR Group Run meeting to attend tomorrow evening.
16 miles - 2:13:39 (8:21 pace)
I was going to do my weekly long run on Sunday, but I was just so busy. I had planned to take today off, so instead I just switched the days around. I took off yesterday and ran my 16 miler today.
I didn't have much of a window to fit the run in today either. When you plan on running for over 2 hours, it can sometimes be tough to find the time. I ran right after work and just before the Nazareth track meet. Of course I went with shorts and I even pulled out the LVRR singlet too on this warm day.
As usual, I went to the D&L to run. It is right down the street from work, so that is perfect. I started at the Cove Road Trailhead. As I was beginning the run, a couple with a baby and two dogs were starting a walk. The one dog, Rufus, was really friendly. He let me go eventually. They told me he would probably want to run with me. Luckily, he didn't follow.
I started off heading north. This part is uphill. I certainly didn't feel terrible in the beginning, but I could've felt better. I just cruised along. I really had no idea how far out I wanted to go (at least 3 miles). The first mile was a comfortable 8:12. I got a little faster after that.
My legs weren't too bad once they warmed up. The path seems to slope towards the river and it felt awkward. I carried on. Mile 2 was a faster 8:06. In general, my pace was just over 8 minutes for most of the beginning of the run.
I tried to tell myself to slow down because it was significantly hotter than it has been. It would also be awhile until I got a drink. I kept thinking I needed to slow down, but going uphill I ended up working a little harder and didn't slow at all.
Miles 3 and 4 were both actually under an 8 minute pace. At mile 3, I passed the horses and their stable. I came up on a cute woman and was hoping I'd see her when I turned around, but that didn't happen. There were a lot people out walking and biking. I saw some of the people on bikes over and over again.
Since I was feeling good at mile 3, I kept going. I just wanted to get out to 3.5 miles and turnaround. When I got there, I decided to make it 4 miles. As I hit the 4 mile point, I decided to turnaround at 4.5 miles. That is finally what I did.
I was getting somewhat thirsty, so maybe I would've benefited by turning around earlier. At this point, I would arrive back and my car at 9 miles. That would have me over halfway done with the run.
Miles 5, 6, and 7 were tough. I couldn't believe how far I had to go. I was just thankful it was a nice spring day. That helped make things easier. I actually wasn't sweating too much. My legs weren't strong, but they were okay.
Finally, I made it to the 8 mile point. I was pretty beat at this point and couldn't believe I was only halfway done. I had no idea how I would finish the run. I ran past the couple and the dogs and they commented that I had lapped them. I told them I was only halfway done. I saw them again later and they had walked for almost 2 hours. I was impressed.
One other interesting thing happened as I was about a mile out from my car. There is a house along the trail with a lot of junk in the yard. A guy was out working in the yard and I heard a rooster call. I then saw 2 of them in his yard. That isn't something you come across everyday.
Seeing the Route 145 bridge within the last mile to the car was a big boost. I knew I was about to grab some Gatorade. Mile 9 was actually a 7:55 pace and my overall pace at this point was right around 8 minutes flat.
I stopped briefly at the car and finished my bottle of Gatorade. I didn't want to stand there too long, so I headed back out quickly. This time around, I started running much slower. I wanted to survive the run.
One thing that make it so difficult is that there are no leaves on the trees yet. The sun is beating down. I ended up with some sunburn.
From this point on, every quarter of a mile was even a struggle. I thought going downhill in the southern direction would make it easier, but it didn't. My legs were starting to get sore. I hadn't even hit 10 miles, but I felt like I was nearly at 16 miles. I wondered how I could keep going.
I went by the house that usually has annoying dogs, but they weren't out. I just kept hoping to go another half mile. I really didn't want to go too far though and struggle to get back. I figured that a few short out and back runs would make the run more manageable. In the end, it didn't matter. It was difficult no matter how you slice it.
I wanted to go out 2 miles, but 1.5 miles ended up being enough. I sputtered along. It seemed like forever to get back to the car again. Most of my miles were now between 8:30 and 9 minutes. All were under 9 minutes.
I got back to the car and took just a small amount more of my Gatorade. I couldn't believe I still had 4 miles left. I felt like I was lucky if I could make it through 2 more miles. I just battled on.
I headed north again. I was just planning on one mile out and one mile back and then I'd head in the other direction again. I did that, but I talked myself into another half mile. That was a struggle.
Coming back was so slow. I knew I had to at least make it back to the car. That would be 15 miles. That would match my long run from 2 weeks ago. I looked at my watch at what seemed like every .1 miles. The run dragged on and on.
Finally, I was back and the car and exhausted. I knew I could somehow manage another mile though. I wanted to run .75 miles out and .25 miles back. I plugged along. As I approached .5 miles, I saw a different couple with a dog up ahead. I didn't want to deal with that, so I just turned around earlier than I would've liked. I struggled back uphill to the car, but I made it and finished up under the bridge with 16 miles.
It was so rewarding to finish the run. I decided to take even more advantage of the weather and ride my bike after dinner. I just wanted an easy recovery ride. That was perfect because I when to Mill Race Park and biked for 6 easy miles. That gave me a solid 30 minutes of recovery riding.
It was an exhausting day and I'll sleep well tonight. I'd like to run at Trexler tomorrow. After the long run today, I'm not going to shoot for running the whole loop. I'll save that for the weekend. I'd also like to bike again. I do have a LVRR Group Run meeting to attend tomorrow evening.
16 miles - 2:13:39 (8:21 pace)
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Wonderful Fast Philly Run
I was heading to Philly this afternoon for the Drexel Women's NIT Championship. I don't get to run in my old stomping grounds anymore, so I figured I might as well run along the river. Originally, I was thinking about speedwork today, but after feeling beat up yesterday, I decided to just go for a normal run. The plan was 5 miles total.
It was perfect weather for a run. It was in the mid 50s. There was a little breeze along the river, but it was comforting. I knew it would be a crazy crowd for a Saturday evening. That was fine though. I wore my GoPro camera and everyone must've thought I was nuts with a device strapped to my head.
I started off at a comfortable pace. That changed quickly though. As I was passing someone along Boathouse Row, one guy passed me and then another one. Rarely did I ever get passed when I ran down there, so that was a shock.
I don't have a problem being passed if that person is faster than me. These two annoyed me because I don't think either could hold that pace for very long. The first guy was wearing cotton and basketball shorts. The second guy at least looked semi legit.
This is an awesome place to run, but after running it almost everyday, I began to hate it. It was great today though, since I don't run here often anymore. I certainly do miss the competition like these two guys provided. I was feeling good, so I picked it up a little.
The guy wearing cotton slowed down and I nearly passed him before he took a different route. The other guy was at least faster. I was reeling him in too. If I really wanted to, I could've pushed it more and laid down a really fast mile. He annoyed me because I almost caught him and then he glanced back and sped up. I stayed right with him. I was nearly by him as we each went around a different side of a group of walkers. He turned around right after that. I was very frustrated. I wanted to see what he had. I was only .75 miles into my run. I'd imagine he wasn't that much farther into his.
I really wouldn't loved to have seen if he could sustain that pace for 5 miles. I did and actually improved upon it. My first mile was 7:37 and the second one dropped to 7:16. I was really moving. It was good because I don't run this hard very often. Other than speedwork, I run everything easy. This was more of a moderate pace and I should probably mix it in more often.
I was going to turn around at 2.5 miles, but then I realized that I would be stopping before the Art Museum when I came back. I wanted some pictures of it. Instead, I turned around at 2.3 miles and headed back.
The beginning was kind of tough as the wind was at my face. I had to adjust to it and did. I haven't run here in so long that I couldn't remember which direction was faster. They both seemed pretty even. I did slow a little bit in this back half, but that was mainly because I was tiring.
Even so, my pace was still good. The third mile was a 7:24. It was funny when I came through the 5K point and realized that I was only about 20 seconds behind my finishing time for the 5K that I ran a couple weeks ago. I could go a lot faster than this too.
I continued to just push through at a solid pace. I told myself that I would slow in the final mile, but I never did. Miles 4 and 5 were 7:31 and 7:26 respectively. I was very pleased with the run. I think I need to start pushing myself a little more.
Today was the complete opposite of yesterday in terms of how my legs felt. It doesn't make sense that they could feel better at a faster pace and on pavement, but they did. I hope this run was a big confidence booster and I'll really begin to amp it up from here on out. My winter progress has been slow, so I need more good, speedy runs like this.
Tomorrow is a long run day. I'd like to run 15 or 16 miles. It will likely be on the D&L again. I just don't know where to fit it in. I'm going to a baseball game and want to watch an IndyCar race. I might do it in the AM, but my body won't be well rested after the PM run today. Another PM run after supper tomorrow is more likely.
5 miles - 37:14 (7:27 pace)
It was perfect weather for a run. It was in the mid 50s. There was a little breeze along the river, but it was comforting. I knew it would be a crazy crowd for a Saturday evening. That was fine though. I wore my GoPro camera and everyone must've thought I was nuts with a device strapped to my head.I started off at a comfortable pace. That changed quickly though. As I was passing someone along Boathouse Row, one guy passed me and then another one. Rarely did I ever get passed when I ran down there, so that was a shock.
I don't have a problem being passed if that person is faster than me. These two annoyed me because I don't think either could hold that pace for very long. The first guy was wearing cotton and basketball shorts. The second guy at least looked semi legit.
This is an awesome place to run, but after running it almost everyday, I began to hate it. It was great today though, since I don't run here often anymore. I certainly do miss the competition like these two guys provided. I was feeling good, so I picked it up a little.
The guy wearing cotton slowed down and I nearly passed him before he took a different route. The other guy was at least faster. I was reeling him in too. If I really wanted to, I could've pushed it more and laid down a really fast mile. He annoyed me because I almost caught him and then he glanced back and sped up. I stayed right with him. I was nearly by him as we each went around a different side of a group of walkers. He turned around right after that. I was very frustrated. I wanted to see what he had. I was only .75 miles into my run. I'd imagine he wasn't that much farther into his.I really wouldn't loved to have seen if he could sustain that pace for 5 miles. I did and actually improved upon it. My first mile was 7:37 and the second one dropped to 7:16. I was really moving. It was good because I don't run this hard very often. Other than speedwork, I run everything easy. This was more of a moderate pace and I should probably mix it in more often.
I was going to turn around at 2.5 miles, but then I realized that I would be stopping before the Art Museum when I came back. I wanted some pictures of it. Instead, I turned around at 2.3 miles and headed back.
The beginning was kind of tough as the wind was at my face. I had to adjust to it and did. I haven't run here in so long that I couldn't remember which direction was faster. They both seemed pretty even. I did slow a little bit in this back half, but that was mainly because I was tiring.
Even so, my pace was still good. The third mile was a 7:24. It was funny when I came through the 5K point and realized that I was only about 20 seconds behind my finishing time for the 5K that I ran a couple weeks ago. I could go a lot faster than this too.I continued to just push through at a solid pace. I told myself that I would slow in the final mile, but I never did. Miles 4 and 5 were 7:31 and 7:26 respectively. I was very pleased with the run. I think I need to start pushing myself a little more.
Today was the complete opposite of yesterday in terms of how my legs felt. It doesn't make sense that they could feel better at a faster pace and on pavement, but they did. I hope this run was a big confidence booster and I'll really begin to amp it up from here on out. My winter progress has been slow, so I need more good, speedy runs like this.
Tomorrow is a long run day. I'd like to run 15 or 16 miles. It will likely be on the D&L again. I just don't know where to fit it in. I'm going to a baseball game and want to watch an IndyCar race. I might do it in the AM, but my body won't be well rested after the PM run today. Another PM run after supper tomorrow is more likely.
5 miles - 37:14 (7:27 pace)
Friday, April 5, 2013
Spectacular Weather, Terrible Run, Better Ride
The weather was so bad (windy) earlier in the week that I went to Trexler and just drove home. That meant to keep my weekly streak of running there alive, I had to make the trek out there today. It is now 11th straight weeks of running there. Quadzilla is just over 3 months away.
The weather was perfect for the day. It was finally spring like. The temperature was in the mid 50s and the sun was shining. It was still windy and that made it cool at times, but I'll definitely take it.
I was so pumped as I drove out there, knowing that the weather was great. I was eager to see if I could run/walk the whole loop for the first time since the Quadzilla race last July. I decided I would start near the zoo and run the actual race course.
It starts out downhill and on pavement. That is nice and fast and in the future I'm going to practice running this part of the course hard. I need to get out in front of most people on raceday. Today, I just cruised along. After being on the stone path for a bit, I hit the trail.
I don't remember such a tough uphill at the start of the trail, but I guess it was there last year. Familiarity was the biggest thing I needed to gain from this run. I just don't know this area very well. I knew it wasn't going to be a good day when I was running this first hill. I made it to the top, but it was a struggle. My legs already hurt and my lungs were struggling.
I battled on though. There was some fast recovery after the uphill. I weaved in and out of the woods. Even the little hills were tough today. On one gradual hill, a little over a mile into the run, I already began walking. Looking back, it wasn't that steep of a hill and I could've battled through it. It was just a matter of it being so early in the run that I didn't want to take a chance and use all my energy. One of the reasons I can run so much of the course from the Environmental Center now is that I know what is coming next. That makes a huge difference.
Even though I got to know the course a little better today, I still don't know quite where everything is. I know there is a road crossing and bridge as well as some other sections before the long uphill, but I can't remember the order they come in. It just all runs together. I definitely need to run this part of the course more.
I knew that I wouldn't be able to make it up the long hill without walking and I was correct. I was just feeling too crappy. Again, this hill actually isn't that bad, but I couldn't tell how far the top was. Although I walked twice by this point, it probably wasn't more than 2 minutes at the most.
I got to the top of the hill and began running. I knew I had a lot of flat or slight uphill coming and plenty of rolling hills. The challenging uphill wouldn't come until crossing the road and heading to the Environmental Center.
I did struggle with some of the short rolling hills by KidsPeace. My legs were just so dead. I ran last evening and I don't think I gave myself enough recovery time. I have had some rough Friday runs before in similar scenarios. I do think the weather could've been a slight problem too. It was such a dramatic increase in temperature that it made it kind of difficult. I wore my GoPro camera, but didn't take many pictures. The head strap certainly gets sweaty. I might not be able to wear it very often in the summer.
At this point, I was struggling so much that I knew I'd never make it to the Environmental Center without a lot of walking. Once I got past there, it is 5 more miles until the loop is complete. I started up the hill. I didn't get too far though and just decided to turn around and head back on the road.
The road was a nice downhill, but it was very windy. It was blowing right in my face. I didn't enjoy it. I cruised along, not sure how far I'd run. When I got to mile 4, I was at the covered bridge. Rather than run into some more wind, I decided to stop there.
I knew even with running and some walking that today wasn't my day. I never would've completed the loop with my legs in the condition they were in today. In order to finish the loop, I'd really have to at least feel decent by the Environmental Center section. Instead, I felt terrible. Last week, I at least felt like I gave myself a good workout. Not today though.
I guess I at least avoided some horses. They were walking on the trail before I started. Had I done the whole loop, I would've come across them again. I've seen plenty of horse droppings at Trexler, but that was the first time I ever saw a horse.
I came home and decided to ride my bike. I got a solid 7 miles it. It was in the neighborhoods around my house. I worked hard during the ride. Some spots had a very strong headwind and there were plenty of rolling hills to make me work. I'm actually tired now. At least I got one good workout in. I need to ride more in the future.
I was considering speedwork tomorrow, but with how beat my legs were today, I'm not sure now. I'll probably just run easy and do a long run on Sunday. I have a busy schedule both days, so I'll probably have to run in the morning. I won't rule out trying the Trexler loop again on either of those days. Most likely, that run will wait until Tuesday. I might try getting out there 2X a week from here on out. It isn't that far from where I work if I go right after I'm done for the day.
Although I struggled today and couldn't finish my loop the last time, I am running some good times when I do run. I'm trying to take it easy and yet I am running well. The two runs went over the full course and combined the time would be right around 1:30. That is faster than I ran the race. Obviously the hills have a cumulative affect, but I hope to be a few minutes faster than that in summer. I just have to be able to get through the full loop and then improve upon that.
4 miles - 37:59 (9:30 pace)
The weather was perfect for the day. It was finally spring like. The temperature was in the mid 50s and the sun was shining. It was still windy and that made it cool at times, but I'll definitely take it.I was so pumped as I drove out there, knowing that the weather was great. I was eager to see if I could run/walk the whole loop for the first time since the Quadzilla race last July. I decided I would start near the zoo and run the actual race course.
It starts out downhill and on pavement. That is nice and fast and in the future I'm going to practice running this part of the course hard. I need to get out in front of most people on raceday. Today, I just cruised along. After being on the stone path for a bit, I hit the trail.
I don't remember such a tough uphill at the start of the trail, but I guess it was there last year. Familiarity was the biggest thing I needed to gain from this run. I just don't know this area very well. I knew it wasn't going to be a good day when I was running this first hill. I made it to the top, but it was a struggle. My legs already hurt and my lungs were struggling.
I battled on though. There was some fast recovery after the uphill. I weaved in and out of the woods. Even the little hills were tough today. On one gradual hill, a little over a mile into the run, I already began walking. Looking back, it wasn't that steep of a hill and I could've battled through it. It was just a matter of it being so early in the run that I didn't want to take a chance and use all my energy. One of the reasons I can run so much of the course from the Environmental Center now is that I know what is coming next. That makes a huge difference.
Even though I got to know the course a little better today, I still don't know quite where everything is. I know there is a road crossing and bridge as well as some other sections before the long uphill, but I can't remember the order they come in. It just all runs together. I definitely need to run this part of the course more.I knew that I wouldn't be able to make it up the long hill without walking and I was correct. I was just feeling too crappy. Again, this hill actually isn't that bad, but I couldn't tell how far the top was. Although I walked twice by this point, it probably wasn't more than 2 minutes at the most.
I got to the top of the hill and began running. I knew I had a lot of flat or slight uphill coming and plenty of rolling hills. The challenging uphill wouldn't come until crossing the road and heading to the Environmental Center.
I did struggle with some of the short rolling hills by KidsPeace. My legs were just so dead. I ran last evening and I don't think I gave myself enough recovery time. I have had some rough Friday runs before in similar scenarios. I do think the weather could've been a slight problem too. It was such a dramatic increase in temperature that it made it kind of difficult. I wore my GoPro camera, but didn't take many pictures. The head strap certainly gets sweaty. I might not be able to wear it very often in the summer.
At this point, I was struggling so much that I knew I'd never make it to the Environmental Center without a lot of walking. Once I got past there, it is 5 more miles until the loop is complete. I started up the hill. I didn't get too far though and just decided to turn around and head back on the road.The road was a nice downhill, but it was very windy. It was blowing right in my face. I didn't enjoy it. I cruised along, not sure how far I'd run. When I got to mile 4, I was at the covered bridge. Rather than run into some more wind, I decided to stop there.
I knew even with running and some walking that today wasn't my day. I never would've completed the loop with my legs in the condition they were in today. In order to finish the loop, I'd really have to at least feel decent by the Environmental Center section. Instead, I felt terrible. Last week, I at least felt like I gave myself a good workout. Not today though.
I guess I at least avoided some horses. They were walking on the trail before I started. Had I done the whole loop, I would've come across them again. I've seen plenty of horse droppings at Trexler, but that was the first time I ever saw a horse.
I came home and decided to ride my bike. I got a solid 7 miles it. It was in the neighborhoods around my house. I worked hard during the ride. Some spots had a very strong headwind and there were plenty of rolling hills to make me work. I'm actually tired now. At least I got one good workout in. I need to ride more in the future.I was considering speedwork tomorrow, but with how beat my legs were today, I'm not sure now. I'll probably just run easy and do a long run on Sunday. I have a busy schedule both days, so I'll probably have to run in the morning. I won't rule out trying the Trexler loop again on either of those days. Most likely, that run will wait until Tuesday. I might try getting out there 2X a week from here on out. It isn't that far from where I work if I go right after I'm done for the day.
Although I struggled today and couldn't finish my loop the last time, I am running some good times when I do run. I'm trying to take it easy and yet I am running well. The two runs went over the full course and combined the time would be right around 1:30. That is faster than I ran the race. Obviously the hills have a cumulative affect, but I hope to be a few minutes faster than that in summer. I just have to be able to get through the full loop and then improve upon that.
4 miles - 37:59 (9:30 pace)
Thursday, April 4, 2013
St. Luke's Half Marathon Preview Run #1
I was hoping to generate some interest in our LVRR Group Runs. Therefore, I decided to break up the St. Luke's Half Marathon course into 3 preview runs. Tonight was the first run. After starting at Allen High School, the plan was to run to the Parkway entrance road and turn back around. That would be the start and the finish of the run.
I posted the run on the LVRR facebook page as well as the St. Luke's page. I was hoping for a big turnout, especially with some nicer weather. It was in the 50s. There was still a breeze. It was perfect shorts and short sleeve shirt weather.
I guess I shouldn't expect much when it comes to these group runs. I'll always end up disappointed. We met in front of Allen High School. Including me, only 6 people were there to run. Some of them ran the course before and there was a couple that was new. I didn't worry about remembering their names because I thought we'd get a bigger turnout and I'd forget their names anyway.
We started off at the gym, so it was actually a little before the race staring line. One nice thing with the start is it is downhill. We were running into the wind some. They also just finished up a track meet at the stadium and we had to avoid some of the Liberty athletes and their equipment. Good thing we didn't have a big group.
It was a nice day to run through the Cedar Beach area. I hope this good weather is here to stay. The one guy ran with me and the couple ran behind us. We were chatting about a lot of different races, from the Philadelphia, Pocono and Boston Marathons to ultramarathons. Every now and then, I would give the couple some advice on the half marathon or they would ask questions. The pace was nice and easy.
One woman still fell behind in the early going. A guy that came with us last week, was running with her. After the Cedar Beach section, we had to cross the road in front of Yocco's. That was quite tricky and wasted time. It probably took us somewhere between 30s and 1 minute. After that, the run was better until we crossed the road again.
We headed onto St. Elmo's and there weren't many cars. We were able to just take up most of the road. Before I knew it, we were on MLK Drive. That was busy and kind of tough to run on. Luckily, we weren't the first people to run through there. There a dirt path along the road. I had brought my GOPro camera along and I took some pictures throughout the run.
We turned around right at the entrance to the Parkway road. We'll run the rest of MLK Drive next week. We then went back onto St. Elmo's. There are some hills on the course. They aren't too bad though. They are just tougher when you are running fast.
Crossing the road by Yoccos went much better the 2nd time. I told the couple not to look over during the race when they come back through the Cedar Beach section. They won't want to see the stadium and realize how far they have to go yet. At this point, you are right near the stadium, but the course doesn't take a direct route.
There are some banners hanging up in Cedar Beach that promote the race. It was cool to see them. One of the photos had last year's winner, Tyler McCandless, on it. I ran with him a couple years ago and I made sure to get a photo of one of the banners.
Cedar Beach was busy, especially the basketball courts. There were some other runners too. I saw a lot of them out today as I traveled around.
With the track meet having just ended, I was hoping that the stadium gates would be open. Then, we could run the lap around the track. That is how the race finishes. However, they already closed the gates.
We just kept running back to where we started at. That required an uphill finish. Good thing for the racers that they don't have to do that. Although the group was small, it was a fun run. Even though we were on pavement, my legs didn't bother me at all. Maybe I should try running a 9:30 pace more often.
I hope the people that showed up this week will come again next week. Maybe we'll get some new runners too. I really thought we'd have more people. Well over 1,000 people saw my post the other day. You would think at least 15-20 people would show up. We'll be meeting at a different location next week. I was hopefully that these three weeks of runs and then some warmer weather would bring more people out. I'm really not sure that this weeknight group run will ever be successful. It is so frustrating.
Tomorrow, should be nice weather again. Since it is Friday, there is a good chance that I won't be working. Regardless, I'm going to run at Trexler. I want to run/walk the entire loop this time. That will add up my miles. The BCR is running at Plainfield on Saturday and I don't like it there. Plus, I think I want to run 800 repeats. I'll likely be on my own. I just look forward to this better weather.
5.44 miles - 52:48 (9:43 pace)
I posted the run on the LVRR facebook page as well as the St. Luke's page. I was hoping for a big turnout, especially with some nicer weather. It was in the 50s. There was still a breeze. It was perfect shorts and short sleeve shirt weather.I guess I shouldn't expect much when it comes to these group runs. I'll always end up disappointed. We met in front of Allen High School. Including me, only 6 people were there to run. Some of them ran the course before and there was a couple that was new. I didn't worry about remembering their names because I thought we'd get a bigger turnout and I'd forget their names anyway.
We started off at the gym, so it was actually a little before the race staring line. One nice thing with the start is it is downhill. We were running into the wind some. They also just finished up a track meet at the stadium and we had to avoid some of the Liberty athletes and their equipment. Good thing we didn't have a big group.
It was a nice day to run through the Cedar Beach area. I hope this good weather is here to stay. The one guy ran with me and the couple ran behind us. We were chatting about a lot of different races, from the Philadelphia, Pocono and Boston Marathons to ultramarathons. Every now and then, I would give the couple some advice on the half marathon or they would ask questions. The pace was nice and easy.
One woman still fell behind in the early going. A guy that came with us last week, was running with her. After the Cedar Beach section, we had to cross the road in front of Yocco's. That was quite tricky and wasted time. It probably took us somewhere between 30s and 1 minute. After that, the run was better until we crossed the road again.We headed onto St. Elmo's and there weren't many cars. We were able to just take up most of the road. Before I knew it, we were on MLK Drive. That was busy and kind of tough to run on. Luckily, we weren't the first people to run through there. There a dirt path along the road. I had brought my GOPro camera along and I took some pictures throughout the run.
We turned around right at the entrance to the Parkway road. We'll run the rest of MLK Drive next week. We then went back onto St. Elmo's. There are some hills on the course. They aren't too bad though. They are just tougher when you are running fast.
Crossing the road by Yoccos went much better the 2nd time. I told the couple not to look over during the race when they come back through the Cedar Beach section. They won't want to see the stadium and realize how far they have to go yet. At this point, you are right near the stadium, but the course doesn't take a direct route.
There are some banners hanging up in Cedar Beach that promote the race. It was cool to see them. One of the photos had last year's winner, Tyler McCandless, on it. I ran with him a couple years ago and I made sure to get a photo of one of the banners.
Cedar Beach was busy, especially the basketball courts. There were some other runners too. I saw a lot of them out today as I traveled around.With the track meet having just ended, I was hoping that the stadium gates would be open. Then, we could run the lap around the track. That is how the race finishes. However, they already closed the gates.
We just kept running back to where we started at. That required an uphill finish. Good thing for the racers that they don't have to do that. Although the group was small, it was a fun run. Even though we were on pavement, my legs didn't bother me at all. Maybe I should try running a 9:30 pace more often.
I hope the people that showed up this week will come again next week. Maybe we'll get some new runners too. I really thought we'd have more people. Well over 1,000 people saw my post the other day. You would think at least 15-20 people would show up. We'll be meeting at a different location next week. I was hopefully that these three weeks of runs and then some warmer weather would bring more people out. I'm really not sure that this weeknight group run will ever be successful. It is so frustrating.
Tomorrow, should be nice weather again. Since it is Friday, there is a good chance that I won't be working. Regardless, I'm going to run at Trexler. I want to run/walk the entire loop this time. That will add up my miles. The BCR is running at Plainfield on Saturday and I don't like it there. Plus, I think I want to run 800 repeats. I'll likely be on my own. I just look forward to this better weather.
5.44 miles - 52:48 (9:43 pace)
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Breaking Point
I enjoy winter running. I don't actually enjoy it while I'm in the act of running, but I love battling through difficult runs when few others are out there. I love the mental challenge of it. However, I look forward to spring eventually coming and some perfect running weather.
The calendar has reached April and I've finally reached the breaking point with this weather. Although the sun is out and it is about 10 degrees warmer than most of the winter, it is still super windy and frustratingly cold. After months of this weather, I can't take it any more.
I tried to resume my running like I have ever week throughout the winter. After taking Monday off, it was going to be a Trexler run on Tuesday and speedwork today. However, neither of those happened. I actually drove over to Trexler yesterday, got changed and drove to the zoo area. I figured it would be less windy there and a good place to start from. Right as I was about to begin, a few strong gusts of wind came through.
I got so frustrated that I didn't even start the run. I had finally had enough. I was mad during the whole car ride home. Of course I could've gone out and ran some of the trail, but I really want to try to complete the entire loop. I can't do that without some decent conditions though. I haven't had those once all winter (now spring) at Trexler.
I was bothered for the rest of the day yesterday. I really hate to just miss a run day if I'm healthy. It eats at me. I already had the day before off and didn't need another rest day. I thought about running later in the day or at night, but in the end I just figured that I would skip a run.
Today, wasn't as bad, but it was still frustrating. I knew it would be windy again. I thought about a morning run, because it would be less windy, but it was still cold. Instead, I headed out in the afternoon to battle some wind. I was still hoping to do some speedwork.
I wasn't very eager to run (thanks to the weather), so I headed to nearby Mill Race Park. I figured that I could run on the paved trail there. I was hoping that I could at least get 4x800 repeats completely.
I wore a lightweight long sleeve shirt and shorts, since it was warm in terms of temperature. A jacket would've been too much. I headed south towards Easton. Of course it was right into the cold wind.
This is a nice path along the Bushkill Creek, but I couldn't even enjoy it. The wind was so annoying. It actually wasn't as bad as yesterday. Sometimes the wind was kind of mild. When I got to very open sections of the trail, it was freezing.
At first, I was only going to run 1 mile out and then turn around and head back. Since I was feeling a little better at the 1 mile point, I headed out another half mile. That turned into a full mile. I crossed the busy road by Penn Pump Park.
I was actually just under 2 miles into the run when I turned around. There was a dog walker coming the other way and I didn't want to pass them and turn back around right after that, so I turned around just before them.
I passed a cute, young girl near Penn Pump Park. There were some walkers out here and there. Plenty of people are still fishing along the creek too. Other than that, the run was mostly uneventful.
I thought going back would be better, but it still sucked. It was an improvement, but not by much. My legs weren't enjoying the hard pavement. When I got near mile 3, I came to a windy section. I figured there was no point in running the extra mile back to the car, so I just stopped there at 3 miles.
At least I got some running done today. That's better than nothing. It was still a hugely disappointing day. I really want to start getting in some quality sessions. I can't do that if this wind never ends.
Since I took 2 days off, I'll be running 5 straight days. I probably need a cut back week anyway, so this isn't the worst thing in the world. Tomorrow is my LVRR Group Run. We are going to run part of the St. Luke's Half Marathon course. It is supposed to be nice then. Friday and the weekend should be nice too. I'd love to try Trexler again on Friday and maybe a speed workout on Saturday. Sunday will be a long run.
3 miles - 26:09 (8:43 pace)
The calendar has reached April and I've finally reached the breaking point with this weather. Although the sun is out and it is about 10 degrees warmer than most of the winter, it is still super windy and frustratingly cold. After months of this weather, I can't take it any more.
I tried to resume my running like I have ever week throughout the winter. After taking Monday off, it was going to be a Trexler run on Tuesday and speedwork today. However, neither of those happened. I actually drove over to Trexler yesterday, got changed and drove to the zoo area. I figured it would be less windy there and a good place to start from. Right as I was about to begin, a few strong gusts of wind came through.
I got so frustrated that I didn't even start the run. I had finally had enough. I was mad during the whole car ride home. Of course I could've gone out and ran some of the trail, but I really want to try to complete the entire loop. I can't do that without some decent conditions though. I haven't had those once all winter (now spring) at Trexler.
I was bothered for the rest of the day yesterday. I really hate to just miss a run day if I'm healthy. It eats at me. I already had the day before off and didn't need another rest day. I thought about running later in the day or at night, but in the end I just figured that I would skip a run.
Today, wasn't as bad, but it was still frustrating. I knew it would be windy again. I thought about a morning run, because it would be less windy, but it was still cold. Instead, I headed out in the afternoon to battle some wind. I was still hoping to do some speedwork.
I wasn't very eager to run (thanks to the weather), so I headed to nearby Mill Race Park. I figured that I could run on the paved trail there. I was hoping that I could at least get 4x800 repeats completely.
I wore a lightweight long sleeve shirt and shorts, since it was warm in terms of temperature. A jacket would've been too much. I headed south towards Easton. Of course it was right into the cold wind.
This is a nice path along the Bushkill Creek, but I couldn't even enjoy it. The wind was so annoying. It actually wasn't as bad as yesterday. Sometimes the wind was kind of mild. When I got to very open sections of the trail, it was freezing.
At first, I was only going to run 1 mile out and then turn around and head back. Since I was feeling a little better at the 1 mile point, I headed out another half mile. That turned into a full mile. I crossed the busy road by Penn Pump Park.
I was actually just under 2 miles into the run when I turned around. There was a dog walker coming the other way and I didn't want to pass them and turn back around right after that, so I turned around just before them.
I passed a cute, young girl near Penn Pump Park. There were some walkers out here and there. Plenty of people are still fishing along the creek too. Other than that, the run was mostly uneventful.
I thought going back would be better, but it still sucked. It was an improvement, but not by much. My legs weren't enjoying the hard pavement. When I got near mile 3, I came to a windy section. I figured there was no point in running the extra mile back to the car, so I just stopped there at 3 miles.
At least I got some running done today. That's better than nothing. It was still a hugely disappointing day. I really want to start getting in some quality sessions. I can't do that if this wind never ends.
Since I took 2 days off, I'll be running 5 straight days. I probably need a cut back week anyway, so this isn't the worst thing in the world. Tomorrow is my LVRR Group Run. We are going to run part of the St. Luke's Half Marathon course. It is supposed to be nice then. Friday and the weekend should be nice too. I'd love to try Trexler again on Friday and maybe a speed workout on Saturday. Sunday will be a long run.
3 miles - 26:09 (8:43 pace)
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