The road to 13.1: This year’s love

This year’s love had better last;
Heaven knows it’s high time.
I’ve been waiting on my own too long,
When you hold me like you do,
It feels so right.  Oh, now
I start to forget
How my heart gets torn
When that hurt gets thrown,
Feelin’ like you can’t go on. 

So opens David Gray‘s “This Year’s Love”.  It totally fits this topic, too.  I’m pretty sure that I declared my love of running when I signed on for Borgess Run Camp and registered for the Borgess Run for the Health of It.  I didn’t know at the time that the half marathon would be the second-shortest race on which I’ve got my eyes this season (with shortest honours going to the Peacock Strut).  Take that, plus all the early mornings and all the gear from Gazelle in which I’ve invested, and … yeah, I think I’m committed.

Whether I should be committed is still open to debate.

This weekend’s running was hard work.  I asked a lot of my legs, and they pretty much delivered.  First, let’s look at Saturday’s run.

Run #21:  10.01 miles, 1:48:23, 10:49.6/mile

That run eclipsed last Saturday’s run as my longest-ever run.  It will hold the title for approximately one week, when it will (I hope) be eclipsed by the 11-miler for which I’m responsible.  My result reminded me of the value of pacing myself.  I took a full 5 seconds off my average pace because I saved enough to finish with a flourish.  My last mile was my fastest by about 40 seconds.  Gayle and Sheila met me at the finish and congratulated me, which was really, really nice of them, given that they had just wrapped up 8 miles at race pace.  I celebrated my run with a “Roll Tide” and a chorus of “Rammer Jammer”:

Hey, road course!
Hey, road course!
Hey, road course!
I just beat the h— out of you!
Rammer jammer,
Yellowhammer,
Give ‘em h—, Alabama!

After seeking and receiving affirmation from Dr MV, I then headed off for coffee, and then I ran a few errands, including picking up a pair of 5-pound weights for my ankles.  I’ll be using those when I work on core strengthening.

Ugh … just realised I have to do that tomorrow … *cringe*

The rest of my evening was all about recovery, because I had to get up this morning and hit the road yet again.

Run #22:  3.11 miles, 33:37, 10:48.6/mile

Had I not known that Christina was driving down to run with me, I’m not sure I could have pulled it off this morning.  I’m not sure what was more uninterested — the flesh, or the spirit.  Either way, I wasn’t overly motivated.

Dear Christina,

You saved this one.  For that, you rock.  Thanks!

Sincerely,

Darrell

I’m okay with the pace we kept; I don’t really have a goal on Sunday runs aside from … well, finishing.  I pretty much decided that it’s time to get new shoes, though.  I think my current shoes have more life in them, but I really do need more support than they’re giving me.  Yesterday’s run left me feeling like someone had beaten my feet with a stick; not surprisingly, today’s didn’t do much for me in that regard.  So, I’ll be paying a visit to Gazelle this week.