12.7 easy miles
That was great! The weather in Austin right now is perfect for running. Fifty degrees outside, 70% humidity - the wind felt a little stronger, and colder, than the 8mph that weather.com is reporting, but other than that, it was a beautiful day. There was even plenty of light with no direct sunlight.
So I started out by doing my standard neighborhood 4.25mi lap. The first one took me 39:58, or a 9:24 pace which is about right. I took a minute to drink some powerade and do an ITB stretch, then did a second lap. This one was annoying, because there were a couple of loose dogs about a mile into it, and I had to walk some to get them to stop following me. Even so, it went by in 38:35, which is a 9:05 pace.
I don’t know if its the spin classes, my hill training earlier this week, or what, but there’s a moderate uphill climb on that loop that interested me. Both times around I realized about 2/3 of the way through it that I hadn’t noticed the hill. That’s weird. I mean, its a very good place to be, but its still a little weird, especially since I had made a note of the fact the first time around. I felt like I was going pretty slowly each time - both times I thought I was slower than I actually ended up being.
Another quick drink break, and I decided that I was just going to go and run in the park rather than doing a third lap and have to mess with the dogs again. Because of this, I decided that it would be only fair to pick up my running buddy Bear to finish it out with me. We leashed up and headed out the door - and boy was he excited! He’s lost a bit of weight himself lately, and between that and the cooler weather he’s in good running form.
We ran to the park, did the 2km loop three times, and ran back. This gave us another 4.2 miles in 38:33, or a 9:11 pace. Overall it took 1:57:06 to do 12.7 miles for a 9:13 overall pace - although that is with a couple of short hydration breaks.
I felt very comfortable this whole run. This is the way that LSD runs are supposed to go, and I’m loving it. Tomorrow, I’m scheduled for 7 miles on pace. The weather’s supposed to be about the same as it was today, but with the addition of some showers. I guess I’ll get to find out how these Asics handle in the rain.
I hope that everybody else’s runs are going well - especially Chris, who’s doing his first marathon today.
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Nov 14th 2004
8:16 PM
Great run! It was very interesting for me to read this, as I’m still at the stage where I consider a driveway to be “rolling hills”. I’ve only recently ventured off of the virtually flat outside runs and treadmill set to 0 incline, and it’s a real challenge. After only a few hilly runs, though, I can already see some improvement…looking forward to more! - Mia
Nov 15th 2004
1:26 AM
I’ll be so happy the day that I don’t notice hills. And I hate it when I encounter unleashed dogs. Makes me want to carry a can of pepper spray. Nice doggie, c’mere doggie, pffffffffffffffttttttt, see ya doggie.
Nov 15th 2004
8:14 PM
A nice description of a wonderful run. It’s interesting that you didn’t notice the hill both times. Perhaps you’ve moved your LT up?
I can relate to the issues with the dogs — I face them myself on a regular basis. It’s really annoying if you have your dog with you (or even worse, your dog AND a child in a stroller).
BTW, I found you through your recent comment on my blog. Thanks for dropping and leaving a comment on my marathon day entry. I really appreciate it.
BD
Nov 15th 2004
9:07 PM
Interesting and informative blog. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
It seems like it was a great run! Interesting tidbit about not noticing the hill both times.
I can relate to the problems with running near dogs. It’s even worse if you are running with your dog. Worst of all is when you encounter them while with your dog AND a child in a stroller.
BTW, I found you through your comment on my blog. I really appreciate your dropping by and sharing your thoughts! Thanks!
Best,
BD
Nov 15th 2004
10:25 PM
You’re so nice to think of me. Long slow distances are definitely part of the mix, and I was reading in _____ running mag that cross training that doesn’t approximate running can muck with your running. They say elliptical is the #1 because of that. (FWIW).
You asked about a standard marathon in my future. Maybe, if one is really super fun, but otherwise, I’m going to stick to trail running. It’s definitely my idiom. : )