Two Fer
I didn't get to blog yesterday, and I'm unsure of how to write today. I want to digest yesterday's run but I don't want to do two blog entries. So I'll write some about yesterdays run and continue the entry later when I have today's run under my belt.
Did a Bloody Nipple loop yesterday. Yesterday was cold. Low 20s cold, so warm enough that any Minnesota readers would scoff but enough so that I could feel the pain while watching last night's Giants-Packers game up in Wisconsin. I had a real desire to dress warm, which I knew I would regret and thus had to talk myself out of several articles of clothing. I ended up wearing my Reba-repellant shorts under my regular ones, and a big old Penn hoodie that I've had since the Clinton Administration (him) that I prefer in cold weather because its bulky and thus traps a warm layer of air between it and my torso. It totally goes against conventional warm-clothing approaches I've seen, but works for me. All that and gloves and hat.
As I hit the Schuylkill bike path I congratulated myself on how comfortable I felt. Even in the full headwind I hit on MLK, I still felt okay. Even with all that Lady Schuylkill could bluster, I was still hitting sub 7:30 pace and felt good. So good that I kept going past the planned turnaround at Strawberry Mansion bridge to make it a BN loop. So good that the West River four came in at 28:15 without trying very hard, just pushing against that wind.
This quickening was followed by the hilly part and then the 3-mile cooldown, the last half of which was run on very tired legs. This speed-hill-ache is becoming a regular pattern in my more challenging runs. It's evolving organically and I'm wondering if there is anything to it training-wise. I suspect there is, as it seems to be something my body is gravitating towards. Kind of like the warm air pocket I described earlier.
So the run gave me 13.5 miles in 141:32. It was a bit short for a long run but Saturdays run was a bit long. All together, it gave me 73 miles for the week. I haven't had that high mileage in a week since the week ending June 17th of last year. That shows me what a difficult year I had last year and leaves me feeling encouraged for my prospects. My next target is to make this a 300 mile month. I think I can do it. I've got 194 miles as of yesterday.
It will be even a bit colder today, with the temp currently at 19. I think I will break out the tights this afternoon. Stay tuned.
If you "stayed tuned" and are coming back, I hope it won't be a letdown. One of those days that I refer to when folks ask me why I run in the mornings. One thing leads to another and before I know it it is 3pm and I'm looking at darkness approaching. Its anticlimactic to go run like this, but some days its how it happens.
At least it was warmer, in the mid-20s, by then. I also tend to run stronger in the afternoon, and today was no exception. Didn't hammer it, as it was an easy day, but kept a pace right around 8 and took both the Sweetbriar hill and the Kirkbride hill in strong fashion. Otherwise nothing much to report; the monkey gets fed for one more day.
Sweetbriar loop, 8+ miles in 64:50.
Did a Bloody Nipple loop yesterday. Yesterday was cold. Low 20s cold, so warm enough that any Minnesota readers would scoff but enough so that I could feel the pain while watching last night's Giants-Packers game up in Wisconsin. I had a real desire to dress warm, which I knew I would regret and thus had to talk myself out of several articles of clothing. I ended up wearing my Reba-repellant shorts under my regular ones, and a big old Penn hoodie that I've had since the Clinton Administration (him) that I prefer in cold weather because its bulky and thus traps a warm layer of air between it and my torso. It totally goes against conventional warm-clothing approaches I've seen, but works for me. All that and gloves and hat.
As I hit the Schuylkill bike path I congratulated myself on how comfortable I felt. Even in the full headwind I hit on MLK, I still felt okay. Even with all that Lady Schuylkill could bluster, I was still hitting sub 7:30 pace and felt good. So good that I kept going past the planned turnaround at Strawberry Mansion bridge to make it a BN loop. So good that the West River four came in at 28:15 without trying very hard, just pushing against that wind.
This quickening was followed by the hilly part and then the 3-mile cooldown, the last half of which was run on very tired legs. This speed-hill-ache is becoming a regular pattern in my more challenging runs. It's evolving organically and I'm wondering if there is anything to it training-wise. I suspect there is, as it seems to be something my body is gravitating towards. Kind of like the warm air pocket I described earlier.
So the run gave me 13.5 miles in 141:32. It was a bit short for a long run but Saturdays run was a bit long. All together, it gave me 73 miles for the week. I haven't had that high mileage in a week since the week ending June 17th of last year. That shows me what a difficult year I had last year and leaves me feeling encouraged for my prospects. My next target is to make this a 300 mile month. I think I can do it. I've got 194 miles as of yesterday.
It will be even a bit colder today, with the temp currently at 19. I think I will break out the tights this afternoon. Stay tuned.
If you "stayed tuned" and are coming back, I hope it won't be a letdown. One of those days that I refer to when folks ask me why I run in the mornings. One thing leads to another and before I know it it is 3pm and I'm looking at darkness approaching. Its anticlimactic to go run like this, but some days its how it happens.
At least it was warmer, in the mid-20s, by then. I also tend to run stronger in the afternoon, and today was no exception. Didn't hammer it, as it was an easy day, but kept a pace right around 8 and took both the Sweetbriar hill and the Kirkbride hill in strong fashion. Otherwise nothing much to report; the monkey gets fed for one more day.
Sweetbriar loop, 8+ miles in 64:50.
posted by seebo | 11:06 AM
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