Sunday Driving

Today is a rest day; its cold enough outside to be glad about this.

I didn't get to post yesterday, which was a special workout because I got to run with Rebecca. This was only the second time we’ve run together, the first being the first time we met. As our paces are a bit different we each brought someone to run with – Rebecca brought her friend Amy and I got Deirdre to come out. After we all met up at Lloyd Hall and made introductions, Deirdre and I set off at our pace and Rebecca and Amy set off at theirs around Kelly Drive.

It was cold and blustery. Once on the Drives, the legendary Kelly Drive headwind buffeted us about during the first few miles and then actually became a tailwind upon crossing the Falls River Bridge and heading back down MLK. My workout called for seven regular miles and one last all out mile. Deirdre hung with me until the last mile and then peeled off to run in Fairmount Park while I peeled out down to the Art Museum. After a promising first half-mile in 2:32 (aided by a tailwind) the second half was hampered by ice on the sidewalk, crossing traffic, standing water and an uphill. Total time for that mile was 5:15, I’d call it about a 5:10 effort, however. Even that was not as fast as I would have liked but fast enough to where I was okay with it. I’m feeling like the top effort parts of my runs are getting a bit faster and, more importantly, more sustained.

After I finished my workout I doubled back and caught up with Amy and Rebecca at about the mile 7 marker. We ran it back to Lloyd Hall, where it was warm inside, and I actually stretched a bit. Yes, that’s right, I stretched. She’s a bad influence, that Rebecca!

10.5 miles in 75:26.