Day 36 (Fri - 2/5)

Everyone is feeling much better today. I went into work feeling good, even though my stomach isn’t one hundred percent. I packed my running clothes not knowing what to expect, but I felt like I had at least a 1 mile run in me and I knew Flash would understand if I didn’t have the energy for our normal route.

Just before lunch I checked in with my wife and everyone at home was feeling good, I had caught up on some important work items, and was feeling very positive about the run, although still a little apprehensive about how much energy I was going to have. Flash and I had to start from a different place as I had forgotten my hat and gloves at my desk (again) which tacked on a little over a tenth of a mile to the route. I thought “well, if I am going to run out of energy quick, might as will kick up the intensity and get the most out of it” and we hit a pretty good pace.

We hit the first mile marker in under 8 minutes and attacked the first hill of the course. We kept the regained our rhythm within 50 yards and were back to relatively quick pace (relative for my previous runs on this course, for Flash I am sure it was a moderate at best pace). At mile 2 I decided to push out for a half mile and opened my stride a little while keeping the same rhythm. For a moment Flash gave me the illusion that I was pushing him. Just so he didn’t blow my doors off I let him know that I only intending to keep this pace to a marker about a half mile up the road. We hit the 3 mile marker in 24:00 exactly (8:00 miles over 3 miles!) and headed up the last of the hills on the route. I had a more in the tank than I normally do at this stage of the run and attacked the hills the best that I could. When we turned the corner for the home stretch I started thinking that we might make it in under 36:57 (my course record without the extra tenth), but even with a last push we missed by 23 seconds.

I was a little disappointed at that miss but realized that because we came so close to a course record and added a tenth that probably meant our pace would calculate to a personal best. As it turns out it did. We finished off 4.52 miles in 37:19 (8:15 miles). I am starting to believe that with training, my body my very well be capable of being in “running” shape. I know I am better built for sprinting and biking, but with the new information, partners, and coaching I think there is room in my calves for “running” to be become a “strength” (50th percentile or better which is between 7:30 and 8:30 miles depending on the race).

I am planning a rest day tomorrow so I can get out for a long and slow run on Sunday.