Foggy Footsteps

Dense fog this morning.  My glasses kept clouding over and visibility was down to nothing.  But it was cool with temps barely breaking 50 so it was good weather for a run.

 

Today was a quality day with 2hrs 45mins on the schedule.  It went very well and turned out to be a 20 mile high aerobic workout with a 3.1 mile cooldown at the end.

 

Miles 1 - 5 @ 7:16 pace

Miles 6 - 10 @ 6:45 pace

Miles 11 - 15 @ 6:42 pace

Miles 16 - 20 @ 6:45 pace

 

Average of 6:52 for the 20 mile portion.

 

Then I cooled down for 3.1 miles to finish out the time at an 8:59 pace.  I felt good throughout the run.  Comfortable with minor periodic fatigue lows during the final 5 miles.  They didn’t last long and it’s good to experience these in training as you can bank on feeling these lows in any race.

Low mileage day

Just 75 minutes on the schedule this morning.  Ran it easily @ 7:59 pace around town.  The rain held off even though the radar showed rain just to the southwest.  Kind of chilly these past few days and today was the same (53 degrees).  Wore a heavier shirt for comfort sake and would have been a little too warm if I was going to run any harder.  The city is quiet after the 4^th celebration.  For a few days there were people out jogging or walking in the early morning.  These were just visitors though and now that they’re gone I have the streets to myself again.

 

~ 9.4 miles.

Back to training

Ran two hours this morning and it felt very good to be back on the schedule.  My taper for the race was so severe I bottomed out the 7-day moving average at 34 miles on Saturday.  Today the average is at 53 and climbing.  I should see 90 or so by the end of the week.  Keeping the pace easy until the lingering soreness dissipates and probably just a little bit longer beyond that to be sure.  However, I’ll run according to how I feel as this plan seems to be working well for me – particularly on the recovery side.  The only number I have on my plan is the time requirement.  The pace, type of workout, and length are all determined after I get going or maybe just before.  The risk is that I run fewer harder workouts but the reward is better quality when I’m feeling good.  And even on the easy days, the length of the run will generally provide an aerobic stimulus which is always beneficial.

 

When I embarked on the second hour this morning I could feel the body thank me.  There’s just something missing with those shorter workouts I was doing during the recovery week.  It set me up for the race but I am very glad that’s over with for a month.  I went looking for Eric this morning but he was nowhere to be found.  So I ended up doing two out and backs on the highway averaging around 8:15 / mile.

 

14.55 miles.

Information

I got some good info on my condition from yesterday’s race.  The biggest positive was that after the fast 3 miles I didn’t crash and burn worse then a 30 second pace drop.  Endurance won the day after taking the risk of leading out.  The 2^nd place finisher is known for an amazing finishing kick.  I didn’t want to be anywhere near him at the finish.  He put that kick on display as he was in 3^rd in the final mile and then torched it for a solid 2^nd place finish.  I was 55 seconds to the front and well out of danger thank goodness.

 

Now back to the regularly scheduled program.  Easy paces for a few days to recover but the mileage will climb again in short order.  It’s where I’m the happiest.  The cutback week prior to the race was very difficult.  All those aches and pains which wouldn’t mean very much if it wasn’t for the upcoming race.  Today was 90 minutes.  The run felt like a gentle massage.  The average pace as 9:41 (~ 9.3 miles).  38.43 miles for last week which was about 20 miles less than I anticipated.  This was due to more recovery than planned and a day off due to the thunderstorm.

 

 

Race Photos

Here are some photos from the race.

At about 5k:




Coming into the Finish



The family after the awards ceremony

2009 Charles E. Davis 7 Mile Race Report

WIN!

1st place in 40:07.

The temperature was in the mid-60's, overcast skies, and a slight westerly breeze. Pretty much perfect for racing.

We took the school bus out to Perry Corner where the race begins. The course is 7 miles in on Route 190 to downtown Eastport. It is fairly flat with 3 hills located at mile 1.5, 4, and a one mile climb to mile 6.

Before we got on the bus, I ran a slow 2 mile warmup to loosen up. I'm glad I did as there was only 3 minutes after the drop-off and the start of the race. Just enough time to jump in the woods. We lined up and then we were off.

And off we were. The lead pack was pushing like I've never seen. I hooked up on the leader's shoulder and drove it on. The alarm bells were going off inside my head but the legs said keep on pushing. So I pushed.

Mile 1: 5:07

The leader and I broke away and headed up into the first hill. It rises, flattens, and rises to the to top at 1.5 miles. Just before the top the leader eased the pace ever so slightly and I pulled ahead and rolled over the top. Then I opened up down the other side like it was a 5k race.

Mile 2: 10:36 (5:29)

I turned onto the first causeway and with the intent of breaking into a commanding lead I kept it at the redline. Aerobically I was feeling good but the alarms were still sounding in the background. But knowing who was behind me I had to risk it for the chance of a solo finish.

Mile 3: 16:10 (5:34)

Flat for half a mile then up to mile 4. Now it was getting hard. The Eastport police took over escort duty and I locked in on the blue lights and battled the coming fatigue. I had no regrets. I was in it to win and this was my try at it. I told myself to relax but the hill still took its toll.

Mile 4: 22:09 (5:59)

Down the other side. I had to keep reminding myself not to let up. I'd catch myself trying to recover. Then I'd pick up the pace until the next low point. Repeat.

Mile 5: 27:59 (5:50)

The road was twisting and turning and my escort was great. I'd move across the road into the left lane and so did the police car! I ran in an awesome protected envelope! Against traffic with a cruiser right in front of me forcing traffic around me. That was a huge help on this open course. This next mile is a bruiser no matter how you look at it. It climbs gradually for the whole mile just sapping the pace. With under two miles to go I tried to maintain my pace but it was too difficult.

Mile 6: 34:10 (6:11)

Final mile! All downhill and I was spent. I pushed really hard to a sharp left where a quick look back confirmed the race was mine. Enjoyed the final 3/4 mile like a victory lap. Ran through town without stress waving to my neighbors. Loved every step of it.

Finish: 40:07 (5:57)

Average: 5:44 pace.

Pre-Race Easy

Just fog this morning, so I was out the door with a smile. 7 easy miles just over an hour. Looking forward to racing tomorrow. No idea where the pace will come in at but I'm sure I'll have fun.

Today I'm relaxing. Already took my first nap.

Where Green Means No

I was tapping on the computer around 4:30 this morning when the light outside the window went suddenly green.  It was so odd I went outside to check it out.  The wind picked up and I noticed the dark clouds coming from the west.

 

What followed was a long protracted thunder & lightning storm.  The rain came down in sheets, lightning flashed everywhere, and the thunder was continuous.  It lasted for the entire time that was allotted to my run and I didn’t get to go.

 

I can run in just about any weather condition except lightning.  So now I’m without my run – even if it was just an easy 75 minutes.  And I feel horrible.  It’s like withdrawal symptoms.  I can’t wait for this day to be over.