Momentum

I met Jordan for what was likely the muddiest/slickest run I’ve ever done before in the Cabin John trails. Some of the trails we ran on were quite new to me which is a little disturbing since I, the Red Fox, pride myself in knowing more footpaths than my running peers. The going was so treacherous that it took 69 minutes to cover 7.5 miles. In all seriousness, I am not sure if a recovery run like this is good or bad. It is certainly slow, which is good, but I wondered whether I might be exerting myself too much over the rolling terrain. 

On Tuesday I met Sam and Karl for the good ole Walter Reid Annex/Pig Trail 9. We kept the pace slow and, as usual, neither of my meathead cohorts had anything interesting to discuss.

I shuffled an easy 4 miles on the Fox & Deer Trail on Wednesday morning. I was enjoying the solitude as well as an unseasonably warm air and brilliant winter sunshine. That evening I drove to B-CC and met a huge group of GRCers for the weekly workout. We ran the warm-up and proceeded to get down to business: 5 x 1600 (400 rest) cut down 5 secs from 5:15-4:55. I opted to run only 4 reps in an effort to ease back into things (last week I ran a total of 2.5 miles hard, so 4 miles this week seemed like a good bump). There were more than 15 guys doing the workout! To get lane 2 (and to stay in it) was a blessing. I don’t think my feet ever crossed into lane 1, but it was really great to roll along with so many folks on a cool, dark winter night no less. I modestly cutdown my reps from 5:09 to 5:06 to 5:04 to 4:58. My stomach was a little sore near the last rep and a half, but aside from that I felt good, though it didn’t feel easy. I definitely got “worked out”, so I suppose that’s a good thing. After the dust settled I cooled down and, for the first time in a long time, my blood sugar plummeted. I deliriously shuffled back to my car no worse for the wear. I got in 14 for the day putting my 7-day total above the personally all-important 70 mpw number. 

I am contemplating running a 3k (or deuce) time trial on Saturday with the team. My plan would be to run the equivalent of 9:45 for 2 miles as that seems to be pace for 15:15 (goal time at Shamrock). After last night, I am not sure if I have the leg speed/power to go that fast for that distance – right now at least.