20 Miler #3
I have now satisfied the minimum marathon training requirements for long runs.
I did it with another good group. The morning started out cool and crisp, beautifully sunny but it warmed up in a hurry. Six of us started out from the Art Museum, SG and BikeMike only went up to Falls Bridge, then me, ES, English Mike and KJ continued up to Forbidden Trail, past Valley Green, and to the 1 1/2 mile marker before turning back. The latter two planned to turn back earlier, but the evils of peer pressure did them in and they stayed with us. We were quite chatty on the way up, and then after the turnaround we spontaneously got serious, quieting down and really working as a group. It got to be that one of the three would set the pace and I stayed up there with him/her, and the other two staid back. This went like clockwork, and totally unspoken, as we cruised down Forbidden Trail, in beautiful green (about to turn colors) shade dappled with sunlight. The spell was broken after we hit the trailhead and ES twisted her foot. She continued along but slowed down some and KJ hung back as well.
There was the dragon boat festival on the Schuylkill, which meant Kelly Drive was a zoo and we returned down MLK. Me and English Mike picked things up towards the end, getting down to a 7-minute pace (sub 5k speed for EM) and racing a gaggle of dragon boats as they were in one of their heats. We started out behind them and then caught up to all but the last one before they finished. I was still mindful of my calf pain from yesterday, which I figure has got to be an inflamed achilles tendon. It wasn't bad when running (i.e., no more than the usual tenderness that went away after awhile) but was definitely inflamed after the run, but then cooled down quickly and it hasn't bothered me again for the rest of the day. I didn't push it by doing any marathon pace miles like I would have like to have done. Total mileage was 20 and running time was 2:44:50.
We finished about the same time that the walkers were coming in from a local 5k. KF raced the race and came in 3rd, but must have been on a cool down run when I came in, as he wasn't around. I mooched some vile Snapple punch and some yogurts from the refreshments and met C at a Starbucks in the Art Museum neighborhood, where she waited after walking for awhile.
Went to Belmont Plateau later that afternoon to watch USP in a cross country meet. The women did well, with JA winning outright again and two other women taking 10 & 11. I'm not sure how the team placed overall. The men did not do so well, either as a team or by individual performances, which were mostly a bit slower than last week. But by then it was also a bit hotter with a stronger sun.
And lastly, C has us going out to Rosemont tomorrow to run a 5k. I figure my legs seem in okay shape to race 5k, and T said he wants to run as well. I'm telling folks that C is pimping me in running this race, as there is prize money 3 deep and the winning time last year was 19 minutes. But it always depends on who shows up, as I'm sure I'm not the only one that's noticed the prospect of easy money and there are Kenyan's who train not far from there. KF will run it as well, and that'll keep me honest. There are also various kids fall activities after the run, so a splendid time should be guaranteed for all!
I did it with another good group. The morning started out cool and crisp, beautifully sunny but it warmed up in a hurry. Six of us started out from the Art Museum, SG and BikeMike only went up to Falls Bridge, then me, ES, English Mike and KJ continued up to Forbidden Trail, past Valley Green, and to the 1 1/2 mile marker before turning back. The latter two planned to turn back earlier, but the evils of peer pressure did them in and they stayed with us. We were quite chatty on the way up, and then after the turnaround we spontaneously got serious, quieting down and really working as a group. It got to be that one of the three would set the pace and I stayed up there with him/her, and the other two staid back. This went like clockwork, and totally unspoken, as we cruised down Forbidden Trail, in beautiful green (about to turn colors) shade dappled with sunlight. The spell was broken after we hit the trailhead and ES twisted her foot. She continued along but slowed down some and KJ hung back as well.
There was the dragon boat festival on the Schuylkill, which meant Kelly Drive was a zoo and we returned down MLK. Me and English Mike picked things up towards the end, getting down to a 7-minute pace (sub 5k speed for EM) and racing a gaggle of dragon boats as they were in one of their heats. We started out behind them and then caught up to all but the last one before they finished. I was still mindful of my calf pain from yesterday, which I figure has got to be an inflamed achilles tendon. It wasn't bad when running (i.e., no more than the usual tenderness that went away after awhile) but was definitely inflamed after the run, but then cooled down quickly and it hasn't bothered me again for the rest of the day. I didn't push it by doing any marathon pace miles like I would have like to have done. Total mileage was 20 and running time was 2:44:50.
We finished about the same time that the walkers were coming in from a local 5k. KF raced the race and came in 3rd, but must have been on a cool down run when I came in, as he wasn't around. I mooched some vile Snapple punch and some yogurts from the refreshments and met C at a Starbucks in the Art Museum neighborhood, where she waited after walking for awhile.
Went to Belmont Plateau later that afternoon to watch USP in a cross country meet. The women did well, with JA winning outright again and two other women taking 10 & 11. I'm not sure how the team placed overall. The men did not do so well, either as a team or by individual performances, which were mostly a bit slower than last week. But by then it was also a bit hotter with a stronger sun.
And lastly, C has us going out to Rosemont tomorrow to run a 5k. I figure my legs seem in okay shape to race 5k, and T said he wants to run as well. I'm telling folks that C is pimping me in running this race, as there is prize money 3 deep and the winning time last year was 19 minutes. But it always depends on who shows up, as I'm sure I'm not the only one that's noticed the prospect of easy money and there are Kenyan's who train not far from there. KF will run it as well, and that'll keep me honest. There are also various kids fall activities after the run, so a splendid time should be guaranteed for all!
posted by seebo | 8:26 PM
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