The Wiser Course
One for three these last three days.
Friday I planned that day off after five days of running hard.
Yesterday was a big day. I ran a double. For the morning run I met Philly Runners at the Art Museum and went out with them. Don't know a whole lot of folks there anymore, and after a slow start caught up with one guy who was ahead of the rest of the group. We barely acknowledged each other and just ran alongside each other for most of the loop around the Drives at a pace that got as low as 6:30. After about six miles of this he started pulling ahead of me and I figured it wasn't smart to be going this fast in the first place, so I let him go. Clocked seven miles of this pissing contest at 46:30. At the Art Museum steps (i.e., one loop around) he was about 100 meters out front, and we both started a second lap around whereupon I slowed down to 7:30 for the next mile. From there I said I'd run for another hour and end up home. I did just that, getting exactly 7 miles in just about exactly an hour. It wasn't the smartest run. Where long workouts often have you go out for awhile and then downshift to faster paces, here I immediately downshifted and then hung on for the last hour. There is some value to that, I guess. And I didn't have much trouble with it, but the trouble I fear, if it comes, will come in the upcoming workouts. 16.5 miles, 2:13.
And then I had a second run yesterday. It was by far the better one. My 12 year old, Tony, announced last week that he plans to run cross country on the school team this fall. Needless to say this thrills me, but I try to temper this and not get overbearing. But I did feel like I should take him shoe shopping. So we went to Haddonfield Running Company where he got properly fitted and hooked up. And then I took him to West Deptford Park, near where his mother lives, and we ran two laps around the perimeter (2 miles total) to break the shoes in. He seemed enthusiastic and if he minded that we ran in the mid-afternoon heat he didn't complain of this. And then we worked off what fitness we may have gained with some WaWa hoagies.
I hope he sticks with it, but I try not to get my hopes up. I know that summer running is crucial for fall XC, but at his age its more about enjoying it. Its a bit late in the summer to start but any fitness now will reduce the hardships of the first practices, so I encouraged him to get about 15-20 minutes of running in each day this week. So much I want to tell him, so much would I love for him to run XC, something I never really got to do as a kid. But its not about me, and its not something I control. But I do have a run logged with my boy, and I'll hang on to that.
This morning my legs felt more beat up than they have after some races I've run. So I took the wiser course of action, which was to run no course at all.
And lastly, congratulations to John Dubs and Heather, who gave birth to Zachary John yesterday and appear to be doing well.
Friday I planned that day off after five days of running hard.
Yesterday was a big day. I ran a double. For the morning run I met Philly Runners at the Art Museum and went out with them. Don't know a whole lot of folks there anymore, and after a slow start caught up with one guy who was ahead of the rest of the group. We barely acknowledged each other and just ran alongside each other for most of the loop around the Drives at a pace that got as low as 6:30. After about six miles of this he started pulling ahead of me and I figured it wasn't smart to be going this fast in the first place, so I let him go. Clocked seven miles of this pissing contest at 46:30. At the Art Museum steps (i.e., one loop around) he was about 100 meters out front, and we both started a second lap around whereupon I slowed down to 7:30 for the next mile. From there I said I'd run for another hour and end up home. I did just that, getting exactly 7 miles in just about exactly an hour. It wasn't the smartest run. Where long workouts often have you go out for awhile and then downshift to faster paces, here I immediately downshifted and then hung on for the last hour. There is some value to that, I guess. And I didn't have much trouble with it, but the trouble I fear, if it comes, will come in the upcoming workouts. 16.5 miles, 2:13.
And then I had a second run yesterday. It was by far the better one. My 12 year old, Tony, announced last week that he plans to run cross country on the school team this fall. Needless to say this thrills me, but I try to temper this and not get overbearing. But I did feel like I should take him shoe shopping. So we went to Haddonfield Running Company where he got properly fitted and hooked up. And then I took him to West Deptford Park, near where his mother lives, and we ran two laps around the perimeter (2 miles total) to break the shoes in. He seemed enthusiastic and if he minded that we ran in the mid-afternoon heat he didn't complain of this. And then we worked off what fitness we may have gained with some WaWa hoagies.
I hope he sticks with it, but I try not to get my hopes up. I know that summer running is crucial for fall XC, but at his age its more about enjoying it. Its a bit late in the summer to start but any fitness now will reduce the hardships of the first practices, so I encouraged him to get about 15-20 minutes of running in each day this week. So much I want to tell him, so much would I love for him to run XC, something I never really got to do as a kid. But its not about me, and its not something I control. But I do have a run logged with my boy, and I'll hang on to that.
This morning my legs felt more beat up than they have after some races I've run. So I took the wiser course of action, which was to run no course at all.
And lastly, congratulations to John Dubs and Heather, who gave birth to Zachary John yesterday and appear to be doing well.
posted by seebo | 8:18 PM
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