The road to 13.1: Last week’s runs

I haven’t had so much as a moment of spare time in the last several days, so I’m lumping reports from all of last week’s runs here in one entry.  Let’s start with Monday.

Run #42:  5 miles, 52:04, 10:24.7/mile

This was my weekly jaunt up Maple Street hill.  I found it to be a bit harder today, though I think that had something to do with the fact that I was really tired and hadn’t really hydrated so well in advance.  Nonetheless, I got through, and in decent order.

Run #43:  6.01 miles, 1:05:50, 10:57.2/mile

Tuesday’s run was more like two separate runs.  For the first three miles, I ran with some of Christina’s 5K trainees.  They weren’t the fastest group, and that was just fine.  I brought up the rear, and enjoyed cruising up the Bicentennial Trail bridge over Milham Road with one of the women in the group.  I ran that 3 miles at roughly 11:45/mile.  Christina challenged me to run the next 3 miles at roughly the same pace.

Dear Christina,

Clearly, I failed.  I’m sorry.

Sincerely,

Darrell

I paid for my sin, too; I was a bit sore that night, and the next day, proving that I really should listen to women when they give me advice.

Run #44:  5.18 miles, 51:23, 9:55.1/mile

At Thursday’s run, I met a couple more Run Campers.  They were working an easy run, so I was able to keep up with their “easy”, despite the fact that it’s not quite as easy for me.  Then again, it didn’t seem overly difficult.  I was able to finish strong on the last mile, despite the fact that most of it was slightly uphill.  Nancy and Laura were fun to run with; for that matter, so was Gail, even though she left a little early.

Run #45:  4 miles, 51:07, 12:46/mile

This was my first Friday run in the final weeks leading up to the Borgess Run for the Health of It.  Given that I ran yesterday and I have to run on Saturday, I realised that I really, really needed to slow it down.  Fortunately, I also wanted to run with my friend Jen.  Running with Jen served the other goal, too.  Friday’s run was, by far, my slowest since I started running.  My first run after I tore my hamstring wasn’t that slow.  It was, admittedly, agonisingly slow.  In other words, it was probably just what the doctor ordered … and definitely what the doctor recommended.

Dear Mary, Christina, Sheila, Gayle, Jen, Lori, and probably some others, too,

Aren’t you proud of me?  I went way slow!

Sincerely,

Darrell

By Saturday morning, I was fully involved in an upper respiratory infection.  It would have been a great day to sleep in and skip my long run … but that wouldn’t really be my style, now would it?  I showed up.  I ran.

Run #46:  8.13 miles, 1:24:38, 10:24/mile

I ran really, really well for the first 5 miles.  I had no problems with Mt Olivet, and I maintained pace through Spring Lake Park.  As soon as I hit the 5-mile mark, though, the bottom totally fell out.  I’ve covered longer distances faster than I covered the first 5 miles Saturday, so I don’t think it’s was about speed.  It was about the respiratory infection.  It was also about the discomfort that started in my left ankle and worked its way up to my left knee.  I’m not really sure what that was all about, but I was a bit hobbled at times.  Nonetheless, I made my way through the last 3 miles.  After the run, Jen was nice enough to stop so I could pick up some medication, and then I went home and began an alternating cycle of drugging myself and sleeping.  That was how I wrapped up the week.