20 Miler #3 - In 4 Acts
I got home from my run this morning and call Reba, who asks if I were a "soggy Seebo," in reference to the light rain we had this morning. I respond that, no, I am a "sloggy Seebo," in reference to this morning's long run. Ba-domp. Well, I thought it was cute.
It was a good slog, however, and since I've been listening to alot of This American Life lately, I'll make this a slog in 4 acts. Stay with us.
First act was heading out to the Art Museum, about 3 miles. Mundane miles that I've done thousands of times before. I took the shorter way, through Powelton Village, because I was running late to meet folks at the Art Museum (see Act 2). My head was trying to figure out how much abuse my legs had taken from yesterday's race and where to run today. I decided I'd run between 2:45 and 3 hours, and letting the course unfold. As many times as I've started on these runs, I never have any idea at this point how long I'll actually be running. It's better that way.
Second act started at the Art Museum, where I met up with Ryan and English Mike. We all had different agendas and were all looking for some company for part of our runs. Ryan's taking it slow after Cesar Rodney last week, and Mike, like myself, is gearing up for Boston. We head up Kelly Drive, up the Wissahickon trail (which I love now that its paved) and onto Forbidden Trail. The running here is as easy as the company, we keep it around an 8-minute pace, and note that the splits off the marked miles are different than the readings off of Ryan's Garmin. It feels like cheating to run with these guys, as the miles go more quickly and before we know it we are at mile 10 or so.
Third act starts a little before the second act ends. Mike points Ryan and myself up towards Roxborough and continues on up Forbidden Drive. Ryan and I proceed up a trail that takes us to Monastery Ave, which keeps going up. Then its down the other side of the hill into Manayunk, the hill known as the Wall. At the bottom of the Wall is Main Street, where Ryan turns left and I turn right. Thus closes the second act, marked by good company, and continues the third act, marked by hills. After this one I cross on Green Lane into Montgomery County and take a set of three hills on Belmont Ave. known as the Three Bears. Ridiculous hills to run when going long, and there were a few more hills as I slog through Fairmount Park and Wynnefield. The idea of this gravity-resisting act is to soften up my legs for the fourth act.
Fourth act starts when I cross 63rd St. into Overbrook and the far reaches of West Philly. Here we get rolling hills, and my legs feel like they have just come off of Heartbreak Hill and on the downhills past Cleveland Circle. This is the feeling I want, and I do pretty good at picking up the pace here, not anything that's going to break any land-speed records, but to where its reassuring that I can pick things up and keep the pace accelerated on back to Cobbs Creek and then down Cedar Ave. Course came to 20.5 miles in 2:49:30.
Hard weekend. All VO2 max yesterday and this morning it was mercilessly flogging the legs. I feel good that I finished strong in the fourth act. I feel even better that it is over.
It was a good slog, however, and since I've been listening to alot of This American Life lately, I'll make this a slog in 4 acts. Stay with us.
First act was heading out to the Art Museum, about 3 miles. Mundane miles that I've done thousands of times before. I took the shorter way, through Powelton Village, because I was running late to meet folks at the Art Museum (see Act 2). My head was trying to figure out how much abuse my legs had taken from yesterday's race and where to run today. I decided I'd run between 2:45 and 3 hours, and letting the course unfold. As many times as I've started on these runs, I never have any idea at this point how long I'll actually be running. It's better that way.
Second act started at the Art Museum, where I met up with Ryan and English Mike. We all had different agendas and were all looking for some company for part of our runs. Ryan's taking it slow after Cesar Rodney last week, and Mike, like myself, is gearing up for Boston. We head up Kelly Drive, up the Wissahickon trail (which I love now that its paved) and onto Forbidden Trail. The running here is as easy as the company, we keep it around an 8-minute pace, and note that the splits off the marked miles are different than the readings off of Ryan's Garmin. It feels like cheating to run with these guys, as the miles go more quickly and before we know it we are at mile 10 or so.
Third act starts a little before the second act ends. Mike points Ryan and myself up towards Roxborough and continues on up Forbidden Drive. Ryan and I proceed up a trail that takes us to Monastery Ave, which keeps going up. Then its down the other side of the hill into Manayunk, the hill known as the Wall. At the bottom of the Wall is Main Street, where Ryan turns left and I turn right. Thus closes the second act, marked by good company, and continues the third act, marked by hills. After this one I cross on Green Lane into Montgomery County and take a set of three hills on Belmont Ave. known as the Three Bears. Ridiculous hills to run when going long, and there were a few more hills as I slog through Fairmount Park and Wynnefield. The idea of this gravity-resisting act is to soften up my legs for the fourth act.
Fourth act starts when I cross 63rd St. into Overbrook and the far reaches of West Philly. Here we get rolling hills, and my legs feel like they have just come off of Heartbreak Hill and on the downhills past Cleveland Circle. This is the feeling I want, and I do pretty good at picking up the pace here, not anything that's going to break any land-speed records, but to where its reassuring that I can pick things up and keep the pace accelerated on back to Cobbs Creek and then down Cedar Ave. Course came to 20.5 miles in 2:49:30.
Hard weekend. All VO2 max yesterday and this morning it was mercilessly flogging the legs. I feel good that I finished strong in the fourth act. I feel even better that it is over.
posted by seebo | 1:02 PM
2 Comments:
Weird. I saw Ira Glass filming for the TV version of TAL on my run this morning in Prospect Park.
From many miles in the Wissahickon I can tell you that those 1/2 mile markers are a little off. Sometimes to long but more often to short. I know you usually aren't to worried about your pace on the long runs out that way but there are white-washed posts somewhere near each of the stone 1/2 mile markers and they are true splits... or at least they seem to be.
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