Last Run For May

05/30/09
Saturday

I seriously did not know how I would feel Saturday morning but I figured I would plan to get up and run. I hate leaving the agenda open as it allows too much room for me to opt out of the run. There is a past history of not getting a run in on weekends if I don't get up early and hit the trail before the household wakes up and finds reasons to stop me.

This weekend would be no different because we had the grandchildren over and I like giving them the attention they deserve. If they were awake I am sure I would breakdown and watch Sponge bob Square pants or Dora the explorer instead of doing my run. My Granddaughter gets mad when I say Square Bob Sponge Pants. HEHE it makes me smile just to write it.

Anyway I got up and hit the road. I figured about 5 miles or so and planned a pretty hilly course (which includes the killer Oakhill) At first I felt slow and tired, I wasn't sure I would accomplish five miles and contemplated just running the 3 mile pit loop. I couldn't believe how dead my legs felt since I haven't run for three days.....hey, I should have fresh legs ...shouldn't I?

I decided to keep it somewhat slow and try to allow my body to warm up, then perhaps I will feel better. That worked and even though I slowed down in the second mile (Oakhill), I started picking up the pace in the third and began to feel better.

I have a love/hate relationship with Oakhill. I say I will run it and up until the point comes that I turn and head up that hill, I dread the thought of it. When I do start, the top looks so high and so far away. All the way up, I think how horrible it is .....Then I crest the top and feel soooo good. If I could pat myself on the back, I would.

This hill is really not that big, I would say a little longer than a quarter mile and it is tar so no traction problems. Height wise I think around 200 feet or so... I never really checked. There is something about it though that grabs your legs and pulls them toward the center of the earth, at the same time it manages to squeeze your lungs to the point of collapse. Perhaps it is possesed?

All I know is when I crest it, I have the money out looking to purchase some oxygen.
After the hill, there is a small down grade then a caldasac, return up the backside and a tough downhill that honestly I like less than the uphill as you have to hold back some and that takes a toll on the joints.

I think one reason this hill feels so bad is that I usually turn up this road after a very long series of uphills, so I am already tired. Today though I only ran 1.5 miles of rolling terrain before the hill so I should have felt better....and I did!

Once I crested Oakhill, I started feeling pretty good and decided to extend my run to 6 miles and hit my normal hilly course. I pretty much set into a groove and ran much faster than the first two miles. I managed a little kick at the end and walked down my driveway feeling pretty darn good about my run.

My brain felt back on track and I found myself thinking about up coming races and how I would ramp up the speed training. I think I am over the post "big race/event" blues and can finally look ahead.

I ended May with over 110 miles run and a good base for 10K racing.


6 mile run @51:59 (9:04Pace)
Hilly course dirt/tar
Aver. HR 150....max 164(oakhill) spike in first 800 yards 176
Splits:
9:41..147-176
9:53..149-164
8:46..147-159
8:44..152-156
8:58..151-160
8:09..154-161....kick@8.8mph