Rambling On about This and That

Yesterday afternoon I worked the Tuna Run 200 information booth at the Tobacco Road Marathon Expo.  I enjoyed talking to runners about the race in an effort to promote and grow the race in its second year.  I had plenty of energy for the first four hours, and then I got tired.  I had more stamina for the expo than I anticipated after my 20 miler in the morning on the American Tobacco Trail.

The Trail was almost deserted after an influx of runners in recent weeks preparing for this weekend's marathons in Cary, Virginia Beach, Wrightsville Beach, and D.C.  With few distractions, I began planning my parents' 50th wedding anniversary celebration in June of 2014.  Besides that I concentrated on how I felt during the run.  At mile 15 I got a boost as I was followed and passed by the Dartmouth Men's Cross Country Team.  I saw them assembling on the Trail as I passed the White Oak parking area.  I tried to keep an even pace but picked it up a little when I heard them.  I was running a little slower than my marathon race pace, and they breezed past me on their warm up.  I can only wonder why the Dartmouth Team was here in the Triangle on the trail.  I felt great with my quickened pace for a few miles.  By mile 19, I wanted to be finished and "hit the wall."  I've hit the wall a couple of times in high mileage training.  I don't like it, but I am always grateful that it happens in training and somehow, so far, I have avoided it in races.

This was an intense training week and rather comical as I returned to speed work.  I faced a rainy, dark, but not too cold, morning for a track workout. The problem was that I wouldn't have had training company on that morning at the track, so I was grateful that my Boston training partner had a morning run planned in a flat subdivision.  We met and did two different workouts, but it was nice knowing she was out somewhere in the same neighborhood in the dark and rain.  It was comical because I was supposed to alternate between 800's and 400's at two different paces.  I understand how to execute this plan on a track, but not so much in an unfamiliar neighborhood when it's too dark to see my distance and pace on a Garmin.  I made it work.  Speaking of my Garmin, this week the strap near the clasp broke on one side as I secured it for a run.  At least it didn't happen on race day.  I've heard from a runner friend who had a strap break, that if one breaks, you pretty much have to buy a new Garmin.  I haven't looked into this, but I plan to hold this one together with duct tape for a while.

Training this past week:

Mon.: 7 hilly miles; 8:55 pace
Tues.: 6.8 miles:  3.8 miles alternating between 800's and 400's at 7:30-7:40 pace and 8:30 pace
Wed.: cycling + yoga
Thurs.: 11 miles; 8:49 pace
Fri.: 30 minutes cycle + yoga
Sat.: 20 miles; 9:06 pace