The Long Green Tunnel

Everything seems to be clicking just fine.

I awoke on Wednesday and went out for an easy 4-mile shuffle around the neighborhood.

That evening I warmed up with the team from B-CC, but bid them all adieu when it came time for them to veer off the Capital Crescent Trail for the track. I continued under Wisconsin Ave and stopped at mile marker 4 (just south of the Bethesda Pool). My goal was to run 3 x mile at 10k pace; the first two miles would be down(hill) the trail, the third would be up. Rest would be a quarter mile.

I had no idea how a fast pace would feel with respect to my pelvis/hips/legs, but I quickly discovered that all was good. I took a couple of glances at my GPS and it indicated I was running a little fast, but I settled into what I thought felt like the pace I might start Pike’s Peek at. I coasted over the River Rd bridge and zipped down to mile marker 5, just prior to Mass Ave. 4:56. It was a touch fast (as I wanted to run circa 5:06 -- and then cut down to 5:00), but it was what it was.

The CCT was a vibrant spring green and an evening fog hovered above the path giving everything a strange greenish glow. The air was cool, albeit humid, and my hands were begging for gloves. Aside from the occasional bike commuter, the trail was clear of exercisers. The rain must have kept them all at bay.

I shuffled 200m south, then 200m north, turned and then went after it again. 4:57. I had found a comfort zone for sure.

The last rep would undoubtedly be the hardest. While the CCT doesn’t have much of a gradient, it most certainly is a hill. I went after it pretty hard, but slowed during the latter half of the rep. I finished up with a 4:59, which is likely the “faster” of the three reps given the aforementioned gradient. 

It was a great workout and the first workout I’ve run solo in quite sometime. The workout was suppose to mimic the surface/gradient of Pike's Peek, which is about 10 days away. 

I got in 9.5 that evening, 13.5 for the day.

On Thursday morning I met Scott, Karl and Sam at The Gate for a run through the park. My legs were tired and I only intended on running 7, but once we got deep into the park I knew I’d run further. I got in 8.

That same cool, glowing fog was present all morning.