OBJECTIVE
20 mi. easy w/last 5 mi.@ marathon pace (7:38/mi.)
ACHIEVED
20.87 mi.@ 8:12/mi.
last 5 mile splits 8:23/7:44/7:18/7:26/7:37/7:33 (.87 mile)
6:09 AM 68° 93% 10 mph mist
This was a really good run. The main reason wasn't necessarily how I felt physically ... although I felt pretty good. Or how I went 20 miles for the first time in several weeks. Or how I actually hammered a solid, 5-mile pickup at the end ... which I did. No, this was a good run because the group was all pretty much back intact and running together again. With the fall racing season, it seems our schedules haven't synced up for a group run where everyone was there ... until today. Roll call for this morning included: Stephanie, Laurie, Miranda (back with us while visiting from her new home in Florida), Stuart, Jonathan, Josh, William, Randy, Aaron, and me.
There was a slight taint of melancholy because I'm not really sure how much longer our group stays together. I'm sure we'll keep getting long runs when we can get together but individual goals and objectives seem to be changing a bit. I'm hoping it's just the end of the racing season and the approach of the Houston marathon which many in our group are running.
We rolled over 15 miles averaging something around 8:25 per mile. The weather and conversation was good. I was feeling strong through about 9 miles but after a water break, fatigue and sluggishness started to set in a bit. I fought through it determined to go the distance. The group was slated for 18 but I knew I needed 20 both physically and mentally if there's any hope for a strong marathon in January (still to be determined). The route took us out-and-back through the Heights which I'm not a big fan of but succeeded in pressing on. Being with the group always helps me at this point.
I knew my training schedule had a 5-mile pickup. I was waffling on the idea through the entire run. At some point, I downgraded the pickup to 3 or 4 miles ... that should be good enough, right? Around 14 miles, Stuart decided to pickup and broke from the pack. I inadvertently went with him but caught myself and held back as I knew I couldn't hold his pace and that my distance hopefully going to be a bit longer than his. However, the accelerated pace for the short time I went with him felt good and convinced me that I should go ahead and see what I could do. At that point, I decided a 4-mile pickup would be good.
Laurie won't know how much I appreciated her calling for a pickup with just under 5 miles to go. I went with her and found the accelerated pace and rhythm difficult to establish for a bit but we settled in. No more talking ... focus and breathing would be more important now. We ran together and once we settled in around a 7:30 pace, it felt really good. It wasn't easy because I was working but there's something about being able to really being able to get moving after you've already put 16 miles on your legs. Just before getting back to the park, Laurie broke off back to the cars; the route everyone would be taking. I turned left to add mileage with a turn around the backside of the park. I didn't know if I'd be able to hold the pace after separating from Laurie but I was sure going to try. As always, the park held that magical energy of everyone exercising; running, walking, moving, etc. The energy always helps me and it didn't fail me this time either. I held the pace. I was hurting a bit with less than a mile to go but was so close I wasn't going to let a strong run slip away to mental weakness and fatigue. I pressed on. At the tennis courts, I saw an old friend, Robert Curran, who I hadn't seen in over 18 months. I stopped to talk with him and catch up. Our sons played baseball together on a travel team for about 3 years so there was a time when we spent most of our summers together. After our chat, I had stiffened a bit but pushed it over the final 1/2 mile back to the swimming pool parking lot. Aaron had finished some time before and was waiting. I missed the rest of the group as they had finished earlier, stretched and went there ways.
It sounds like most of us our out of town for the holidays next Saturday so I'm not expecting a group run. That will leave me to my own design to figure out a way to get miles. Running with a group is a huge help for me. Running with this group has been the best fortune of my running life.
PRE RUN
weight = 163#
FRS liquid concentrate, oatmeal w/1% milk & water
POST RUN
2 SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin, & oatmeal w/almonds, flax, brown sugar & 1% milk
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