The final run of week 1 of the Runner’s World Challenge Break-1:30 Half Marathon training program is finally here. Finishing this run with good splits means I hit the entire first week solid and am progressing towards my end goal of a BQ marathon eventually.
Today was another late start for running, but not at all my fault (first time for everything…). The church attached to the YMCA requires that the Y not open to members until noon, so we were huddled together outside the locked doors waiting for them to let us in, dammit. Its still cold and windy in NW Ohio!
When the clock hit twelve, the doors were unlocked and inside we went…
Since I knew I wouldn’t be able to run at the Y until noon, I made pre-workout gel my morning snack. Today’s choice: Hammer Nutrition Montana Huckleberry energy gel. Like the PowerGel, it is too thin for me, even in the relative cold of the car during my commute. Not nearly as bad as the PowerGel mind you, but I still prefer a thicker gel. The real surprise was getting to the bottom of the pack and finding myself eating seeds! Perhaps I have grown overly cynical as I age, but I never expected my “huckleberry” gel to actually contain huckleberries. But a quick check of the package confirms that actual berries are an ingredient – something to keep in mind for the future. Real food is awesome.
Eating finished, time to run! Today’s workout was shifted from Friday, so my time on the track was scheduled to be a 5 miler.
2/23 workout: 5mi, easy pace (8:00/mi).
Just like yesterday, I wanted to be a fair piece quicker than my cutoff pace to ensure I was making my splits. I aimed again for 7:30-7:45/mi. Right out of the gate I hit my pace. Legs were a bit tired from the LSD run, but they were still responsive and ready to carry me at pace.
As I warmed up, Garmin started informing me that I was hitting 7:00-7:15/mi instant pace! I tried to dial it back, but I was driving forward and kept hitting faster splits than I set out to run today. Eventually, I gave in and ran the speed that my body wanted to run. It felt good to let loose.
The only problem I ran into today was that the itty-bitty two-lane 1/16th mile track kept getting more and more crowded as my run went on. When there are only really two lanes, two walkers abreast is a recipe for disaster, especially when there is a runner that is completely oblivious to the concept of “slower runners to the right, yield to passing runners” and is hanging out in the passing lane at a jog.
But even a human traffic jam couldn’t keep me from having a successful run today. That means cross it off, week 1 complete! Boo-ya!
Being the great wife that she is, Stacy actually made me a mini-cake to test! This should be fun, and hopefully tasty…
