2x3, Take II

W/u: 2.08 mi in 16:24.92 - 7:54 ppm.
W/o: 2 x 3-mile with 4:00 rest. 20:06.19 - 6:42 ppm; 20:23.53 - 6:48 ppm.
C/d: 1.91 mi in 18:45.60 - 9:49 ppm.

My legs felt tired today, which is understandable given the 15-plus on Sunday and the long day of standing up on the job yesterday. I went to McAlpine once again, and I feel I did better this time than when I did this workout previously. I ran slower on the second one, once again, but I was a little bit faster this time. I don't want to get caught up in trying to "beat the workout," per se, but I don't feel there is anything wrong with trying to best the same workout done a week or so prior. As tired as I felt today there was no danger of me overdoing it on the pace.

I've started using Garmin Training Center, not to be confused with Garmin Connect, and it will help make it easier for me to update my blog. This means I won't be adding the Running Buddy link anymore; I will make exceptions for particularly interesting scenery and the races.

Week in Review

Total Distance: 43.43 mi.
Dedicated Time: 05:33:23 h:m:s.

I behaved better this week than I have in a very long time, as far as getting out the door and getting the proper work done. I can do better, but the improved motivation is no doubt a large factor in me running very well this week.

Things are going to get very difficult very soon but first they will get easier. I started my training plan a week early with the idea of adding another easy week at the end, and I have decided to scrap this idea. In order to get back on track with the timing of the plan, I am going to repeat the training of a previous week - week 5, which I did last week - and get back on with week 7 beginning 9 days from now. Not only will this get me back on track with the plan but it will also allow for a race this coming weekend, so stay tuned for a decision on that one.

Exploration Day

Distance: 15.64 mi.
Time: 02:01:13 - 7:45 ppm.
Running Buddy

This would be another great time to check out the map on Running Buddy, if only to grasp the fact that I ran all over the place this morning (zoom in for added effect!). I grew up near Plaza-Midwood and for some reason decided I wanted to run through my old church and the old neighborhood. Starting near the intersection of Park and Seneca, I chose what I thought would be the quickest route there and took off.

I felt very tight at first and stopped to re-lace my shoes several times before getting comfortable. It is these minor comfort issues that originally led to me to stray from Nike; now, however, you had better believe I am willing to put up with it. After today's run I have put over 134 miles on the Air Pegasus and they are just now starting to show a very slight amount of wear. There are a few tread marks on the upper-midsole that have faded ever slightly. The insole looks as though a foot has never touched them. Other than some colorful McAlpine dirt, these shoes don't look much different than they did the day I pulled them off the shelf at Dick's.

Yet I digress... I ran down Selwyn, passed the Sunday churchgoers on Providence, and through the Eastover neighborhood behind my apartment, stopping for water on three separate occasions. From here I meandered towards Plaza-Midwood on Pecan Avenue...and realized I would not be touring the old 'hood. I was over 6 miles in and had 14 scheduled so I needed to abort the mission. Instead, I ran down Central and into town, touring through First and Fourth Wards and heading out by Frazier Park. I seem to remember knocking Frazier Park at one point, but while small, it's actually kind of cool. There is a small asphalt path that goes around a soccer field and I made a mental note that it would be a good place to do a shorter workout (not that I have any of those on the schedule anytime soon).

I was running around the stadium downtown when I made an error in judgment trying to figure out how far I was from where I started. A much-needed water stop at the Dowd and some stretching helped me recharge my batteries after about 11.4 miles. I had indeed underestimated my distance from "home" and therefore ending up running well over 15 miles. But I felt good, and I have run shorter than planned on almost every other long run, so I was fine with it.

"Active recovery" is an oxymoron, right? I spent the rest of the day eating, napping, lounging at the pool with friends, and updating this blog.

Distance: 5.00 mi.
Time: 00:37:46 - 7:33 ppm.
Running Buddy

I managed to hit exactly 4 and exactly 5 miles in different easy runs this week. That seems funny to me; ever since I got my Garmin I have never cared what the exact mileage is. I just run and try to keep it somewhere near what I'm supposed to do, then use the data - and this blog - to record it and log notes of how I felt.

There isn't really much to say here; I ran from downtown after checking on my valets. It was hot and running downtown really sucks sometimes because of all the traffic lights. I felt fine otherwise and it was just another day of getting the work done.

Feeling Good

Session One - 1 mile warmup plus 2 miles at marathon goal pace, ideally 7-7:10 ppm. ACTUAL: 3 miles with splits of 8:16, 7:02, and 7:00.
Session Two - 3-4 x half-mile at cruise pace (~6:20 ppm) with 2:00 rest. ACTUAL: 3 x half-mile in 3:08, 3:10, 3:10.
Session Three - 3 miles at tempo pace (6:40-6:50 ppm). ACTUAL: 3.0 miles in 00:19:55/6:38 ppm; splits of 6:14, 6:52, 6:48.
Cooldown - 1.83 mi in 00:16:49 - 9:11 ppm.

I'm not going to lie, I was worried about this one. It seemed, to me, an especially difficult workout. I struggled with 2 x 3-mile at tempo pace just a week ago, and now I had to run 3 miles tempo after completing 2 miles MGP and some 800s? Yikes.

I started at the Dowd Y and ran a slow first mile to get warmed up before going into MGP (marathon goal pace) while crossing East Blvd. I wanted to do the 800s (again, half-milers, actually) on the speed loop so I just wandered around in the neighboring streets, backtracking and looping around and....running faster than I should have. I just barely cleared the 7:00 ppm mark and it wasn't supposed to be that fast. Also, it felt like work, and I had a long way to go. I didn't see how I was going to finish this thing.

I got to see the speed loop, re-programmed my watch, and took some water at Rebecca's house. I started off and gradually began to feel a little bit better. These were supposed to be a little bit slower than what I did last week, and I hit the target times with precision. When I was done, I fumbled with some cranberry juice mix on Rebecca's porch and tried to figure out how to make the tempo section easier.

Finally, I realized I was right near East Blvd., which is a nice long downhill from here right into Freedom Park. I don't know why this didn't dawn on me before but I figured a downhill start would be a great way to keep from bonking what was suddenly starting to look like a fantastic workout. I had a hard time coming back from my quicker half-mile pace, and that combined with the long decline led to me running a 6:14 opening mile in the tempo section. Really, I was quite pleased with this; I could slow way down and still average better than I thought I would. I ran through the park and up Princeton Avenue for mile two; Princeton is a steep incline and while I did slow down I still managed to keep the pace in the ballpark.

I was beginning to hurt as I continued a slight climb onto Queens Road West. Buoyed by the knowledge that I was well on the way to destroying this thing, I dug down and fought. I had a downhill coming and then I would be done. I closed the three-mile section with a 6:48 lap, putting me at 19:55 total, well faster than either of my sets for last week's workout.

I was exhausted but you had better believe I was pleased with this one. I am starting to feel fit.

Easy Wednesday

Distance: 4.00 mi.
Time: 00:30:08 - 7:31 ppm.
Running Buddy

As Tuesday will be mostly the same for the rest of the plan, Wednesday will, too - it's basically going to be a recovery day of four miles with striders from here on out. Today I neglected to do the striders at the end because it was fantasy football draft night and I was in a hurry to get home. Instead, I picked up the pace near the end. The draft went well: I kept Aaron Rodgers from last year's team and added LeGarrette Blount, Mark Ingram, Marques Colston, and Steven Jackson, among others. Now I just need a cleverly offensive name for my team. I change it every year, usually related to some bad-pub current event. Perhaps Casey Anthony will somehow be involved? I'll think of something...

Revisiting a Favorite Route

Distance: 9.12 mi.
Time: 01:09:38 - 7:38 ppm.
Running Buddy

As far as I can tell, Tuesday is either going to be a workout day or a medium-long run day for the duration of my training plan. This week it was the latter. Anyone who has been reading this blog since last fall probably remembers me discussing a Freedom-Park-to-Independence Park run as one of my favorite routes. I did it again today for the first time since last December.

I made some minor changes to the route to add in more hills and I cut it slightly short at the end, but I completed nine-plus miles and enjoyed the slightly milder weather. August has been extremely kind to us after an incredibly awful June and July.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of this one, so I expect to see it show up again. 

Week in Review

Total Distance: 37.02 mi.
Dedicated Time: 04:51:37 h:m:s.

The mileage still wasn't that high, but this was a good week. I seem to recall feeling like a slacker and being upset with myself at some point this week, but I got the work done regardless. I could have prepared better for each workout, but I still ran well and got in an excellent long run in the mountains. This was definitely a solid week of training.

For the coming week I am going to try to stick to my training plan as much as possible, which means no race on the schedule (Greek Fest, another GPX event, is this Saturday). The marathon is the goal right now and I am already getting pumped.

Elevation Gain

Distance: 11.65 mi.
Time: 01:32:58 - 7:58 ppm.
Running Buddy

If you don't normally look at the map in the Running Buddy link, now would be a good time to do it. I was invited to spend a couple days with Anne Marie in her parents' mountain community, and as such I was able to put in some seriously rolling miles at the base of the mountain.

Chateau de Martin is located somewhere near Hendersonville, N.C., in a lush, private, golf-course community on the side of a mountain. The development is called Bright's Creek, after a nearby stream that runs into a lake. I entertained ideas of running the four miles from the base of the development up to the house, but luckily for me AM discouraged this idea (it climbs the entire way and is so steep at times that merely driving up it is precarious). I will, however, save this one for a later date - a hill workout from hell, if you will.

I started at the clubhouse as several members were excitedly roaring in for their Sunday morning tee times. I felt right at home as makes such as Lexus, Mercedes, and Infiniti came by me, the drivers throwing up friendly waves. I twisted and turned and ran up and down a road called Palmer and then came to a fork. I have a tendency to get lost, but that seemed impossible out here because everything looked different. I took a right and ran over a bridge. It was incredibly peaceful. If I get to run here again I'm going to make a point to do so under the sunrise. Running right down the middle of the road wasn't a problem as there were no people anywhere (after I passed all the golfers, of course). No idiot bikers who don't follow traffic laws, no soccer moms in SUVs who can't see me because they're talking on the phone while driving, etc, etc....perfect.

I ran down a road called Silver Creek and put in some serious work on hills - ups and downs. I ducked into a   construction site to water the bushes, then turned down another road to explore a small community that was still a work in progress. Many of the lots were cleared out, with mailboxes in place, and many more were uncleared with "for sale" signs in the yard. I found two homes that were complete and appeared to be occupied. One of them looked to have an incredible view of a valley and one of the mountain peaks behind it. Ever wary of getting carried away with exploration - especially since I didn't have anywhere to stop for water - I turned around and headed back towards home.

I did need to add on miles so when I came back to Palmer Road and the fork I decided to go the opposite direction, towards Lake Adger. This body of water was narrow and very quiet, with a marina that appeared mostly occupied by canoes and kayaks. What a lifestyle...in the interest of respecting the "members only" signs I neglected to do much exploring on the marina. I continued on up the road and down some more rolling hills. All told, I would achieve close to 1,000 feet of elevation gain on this run. I wasn't really worried about my pace, as it was inevitably going to be slow, but I was working and keeping it respectful nonetheless. I wandered around a little bit more and wished I could go further, as the scenery only got better, but I had to turn around. I came across the stream again, well tucked away in the woods, and a lively group of birds that didn't seem too thrilled by my presence. I don't blame them.

As I headed back up Palmer Road and into the development, I glanced down at Running Buddy and noticed that I was besting the 8:00 per mile mark. This pleased me greatly after all that work, and I kicked into another gear. I was hoping to get in more miles, but this was more than a solid effort and I was spent after charging up a hill in front of the clubhouse.

A special warm thanks to AM for inviting me as her guest on this trip and thereby allowing me to get the work done in such exquisitely beautiful surroundings. Maybe one day I'll be able to run in a place like this every day. 

McAlpine Speed Intervals

Warmup - 1.90 mi in 00:14:58/7:54 ppm.

Session One - 4 x half-mile at speed interval pace with 2:00 rest. 3:03, 2:59, 3:00, 3:06.

Session Two - 4 x quarter-mile at speed interval pace with 1:00 rest. 1:31, 1:35, 1:33, 1:27.

Cooldown - 1.95 mi in 00:15:02/7:43 ppm.

Today was yet another case of me staying up late the previous night, then sleeping in and rushing out the door to get the work done. This time, my motivation to run fast including an impending mountain getaway, so I had plenty to look forward to while I was racing around McAlpine Park. 

I did my warmup trot down the greenway, where surely enough I passed Mike Mitchell, who was just finishing up his run. I had entertained ideas of recruiting him for help but figured I would be too late, and I figured right. I approached the park and realized I was once again in the midst of a large race. A large high school race, to be precise. I bumped into Christi and Jamaar and then proceeded to jump into the first part of my workout: 4 x 800 (I actually did half-milers) at "speed interval pace," which is basically about 5k race pace (hopefully a little slower at this point). 

On account of the meet I headed away from the park and towards Harris Boulevard. I was bummed I couldn't run on the course, but oh well. I just tried to get comfortable and I felt like I was working hard enough but not really hurting, and the two minutes between each rep was more than enough. I finished the halves and adjusted the watch to do quarters, still on the Harris/Margaret Wallace section of the greenway. This time I was hurting, without much rest this time, and just tried to get through it. Somehow my last one ended up being my fastest, even though I spent it trying to get out of everyone's way.

As I was walking around, about to begin my cooldown, I heard a distant voice call out, "Get out of the way!" I crossed the course and made my way over to the bushes, and heard once again, louder this time: "BLACKWOOD, GET OUT OF THE WAY!" It was Hovis and Compton, two Providence Day alums up to no good as usual. Actually, they were preparing to watch their varsity boys compete in what was actually a 3k. I watched the start from a safe place off to the side and then cooled down back to the Sardis lot, satisfied with the day's work and ready to get out of town for a bit.

Scrap Miles

Distance: 3.44 mi.
Time: 00:26:48 - 7:47 ppm.
Running Buddy

Once again, there isn't much to report here. I have been busy with work and failed to properly manage my time, so I only got in just over three miles today. It was hot and I felt like crap. Bye.

Recovery Day

Distance: 4.36 mi.
Time: 00:34:29 - 7:54 ppm.
Running Buddy

Today I ran my Freedom Park route, starting on Princeton Avenue this time, and cut it short by over a mile. There isn't much to say here, other than Kati Robertson still has not put a water cooler on her porch. What gives, woman?

Getting it Done

Warmup - 2.11 mi in 00:16:31 - 7:50 ppm.
Workout - 2 x 3-mile with 3:30 rest. 20:15, 20:38.
Cooldown - 1.66 mi in 00:13:43 - 8:17 ppm.

I went out for beers again last night after work, and I elected to skip breakfast and lunch as I haggled on the computer all morning, so I didn't feel like I was exactly in prime condition to attempt what would no doubt be a pretty tough workout. I did it, though: the first step was dragging myself over to McAlpine, followed by quickly hydrating and just convincing myself to fight through the pain.

Fight through the pain, I did. I pushed myself today better than I had in awhile. Granted, I haven't done many long workouts like this in awhile, but still. I did not have a whole lot of energy and my Garmin had me running what was closer to a 5k than 3 miles, but I got this thing done. The fastest mile I recall turning was a 6:38 opener on my second set, and the slowest probably about a 6:55 on the hill mile during that same set. I am most proud of how I was able to respond to slowing up the hill and then hanging on for the last mile-plus afterward. My plan said to do 6:39 for tempo pace if 7:00 is marathon goal pace, and my MGP is probably a tad slower so the 6:45/6:52 average was right in the ballpark. I wish I had been able to run the second one faster, but again, not bad, especially given the circumstances.

Week in Review

Total Distance: 41.71 mi.
Dedicated Time: 05:18:06 h:m:s.

The mileage was over forty again this week, aided by my running six days instead of five. I had a tough long run and failed a workout, but the beat goes on.

I also spent the day hiking with Anne Marie, Kati, and Ben. We hiked the steeper section of Crowders Mountain. The uphill portion really felt good for my shins and ankles; the downhill portion really did not feel good for my shins and ankles. 

Fast Fun Run

Distance: 4.51 mi.
Time: 00:33:12 - 7:22 ppm.
Running Buddy

I met the CRC group at Freedom Park for the bi-weekly fun run. I missed the last one or, more importantly, I missed the food and beers afterward. That would not be the case today. There was a large crowd, including Billy, Carolyn, Megan Hovis, Emily, Anne Marie, Eric, John, and many others. I enjoyed the chance to chat with Megan for awhile as Eric and a dude named Brad set a somewhat brisk pace up ahead. This is a really tough loop as it is very hilly, so a 6:57 (my time for the final mile before I left to go find Anne Marie) can easily feel like a 6:20. I was happy with the quicker pace because of my bombed workout, though. 

Trials of Miles

Distance: 11.93 mi.
Time: 01:33:53 - 7:52 ppm.
Running Buddy

I met Brinkley and Brian Baum at McAlpine for this week's version of the long run. Perhaps I should start taking this stuff more seriously. I didn't get up when my alarm went off, and when I did get up I realized I was going to be late to meet them.

Brian ran at CCS but was two years behind me, in Eggers' class. We all ran into each other back at Great Harvest, where he won the baby jogger division. There were some exciting moments near the end as I came flying past him down the hill, only to see him put his stroller on two wheels and race back past me into the chute.

Our splits were all over the place for this one. We would keep a conversation going, then realize we were barely moving and pick up the pace. This continued for awhile and I began to realize I didn't have much energy once again. I don't like to make excuses, but my job really does make these morning runs difficult. If nothing else I usually have to rush dinner, or eat way earlier than normal when I work a Friday night. So, when Dave and Brian began pushing the pace through Lansdowne and back up Sardis, I got left behind. I did manage to speed up slightly at the end, and I did get the miles done, but it's frustrating to get dropped by the group.

It's Football Season!

Distance: 5.13 mi.
Time: 00:39:45 - 7:45 ppm.
Running Buddy

I started from the Dowd and ran towards the stadium. I went past the Doghouse bar on Morehead, where the WFNZ guys - McClain and Celania were set up for the day. I was kind of hoping they would be outside so I could say something stupid, but no dice. I ran around the stadium and the practice fields for a bit.

I have not been this excited for a Panthers season since 2006, the last time we were expected to contend for the Super Bowl (that did not work out too well). We have a charismatic rookie quarterback in Cam Newton and a hard-nosed, risk-taking first-year coach in Ron Rivera. The coaching staff as a whole seems ready to throw out some surprises, and there is talent on this roster left over from years past. I don't think the team will have a winning season and our division is brutal this year - but they will most definitely be fun to watch. I can't wait.

Tempo Trash

Distance: 5.53 mi
Time: 00:39:47 - 7:11 ppm.
Running Buddy

I wasn't really sure what to expect for this one. I had essentially a 100 % trash intake the last couple days, and it showed. I was hurting on the MGP portions of this run in the first couple miles. I got to the fast portion and, after running a 7:06 mile, a 6:50 mile, and 7:06 pace for half a mile, I called it quits. I could have pressed on but I wasn't going to come anywhere near what I had done the week before, so why risk it? It was at least reasonably quick for a mile or two. I just cooled down at the park and then trotted home...slowly.

Easy Wednesday

Distance: 5.61 mi
Time: 00:42:10 - 7:31 ppm
Running Buddy

I ran my Freedom Park/Booty Loop route, starting at Kati Robertson's place this time instead of at the park. I was supposed to do my workout today but put it off. There isn't much to say about this one.

Plaza-Midwood Day

Distance: 7.47 mi
Time: 00:57:00 - 7:37 ppm
Running Buddy

I was supposed to do 8-10 miles with some uphill time today, so I left home and wandered over to Plaza Midwood. I ended up running the part of the Thunder Road course that goes through here, including the "taker of souls" hill on Hawthorne Lane. It's a tough hill regardless but it's infamous to the course because it occurs near  the end - mile 24, if I'm not mistaken. I got to run by all the restaurants that I should probably check out at some point. The pace was decent considering the weather.

Week in Review

Total Distance: 33.51 miles
Dedicated Time: 04:17:58 h:m:s

This was another pathetic week mileage-wise, but I got in a really good workout and a good long run, so that's all that really matters. I elected not to run the Blue Points 5k after dropping another $85 on running shoes, but at least I feel I don't have to worry about whether or not a crappy pair of Brooks or Mizunos is going to last this time.

I did not run today, but I got in a unique brand of cross-training in the form of pushing a heavy stroller all over Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock. My brother has gone back overseas, but his wife and two sons were here, along with my sister and her girls, my parents, and my sister's childhood best friend, Robin. My youngest nephew, Thomas, is completely insane and he and I entertained ourselves thoroughly by testing out all the scariest rides and generally giving his grandmother a heart attack on multiple occasions. The aforementioned stroller was frequently laden with purses, bags, umbrellas, food, water bottles, and two kids, and the hills at Tweetsie are no joke. So I'm not being a jokester when I say I did some cross-training. Thomas kept asking, "Uncle Jason, how are you not tired?" I told him that as his uncle I have special powers that prevent me from ever getting tired. This answer seemed satisfactory to him. Luckily he didn't see me sleeping the entire ride home as he was in the other car.

Long Run in New Shoes

Distance: 12.14 mi
Time: 01:38:41 - 8:07 ppm
Running Buddy

I did something somewhat absurd today: I got up and out the door before 5. I wanted to watch my friends run the latest GPX event, the Blue Points 5k, which started at 7:30 a.m. near the stadium downtown. With family plans for the Sunday, I knew I would have to get my long run in before the race. So I started at the Dowd and got in some good, decent-paced miles under the streetlights. The cool part about running this early is I can run down a main road like Kings or Sharon without worrying about cars (although I don't recommend this - I am a crazy person).

My Nikes felt fantastic. I am in heaven. I feel like a cheating husband who has come sobbing back into the arms of his forgiving wife after months of infidelity. My affair with the young hotness - Brooks, Mizuno, etc - is over. And Brooks, I'm sorry, but you knew what this was.

The pace reflected in the stats above is skewed by the fact that I forgot to stop my watch several times while I was watching and filming Blue Points. I spent a few minutes refreshing myself at the Dowd before heading over to the intersection of Stonewall and McDowell - right at mile one. A pack of college or post-college studs came flying past, well ahead of Paul and the usual suspects at this point. Billy and Brinkley both ran really well but most of my friends were disappointed with their times, as this was a tough course and the conditions were pretty brutal. I was glad I had gotten my long run out of the way early.

Back to Nike

Tired of trying to give another shoe company a chance, I finally decided to just switch back to Nike. Brooks and New Balance just don't work for me. I weigh close to 200 pounds, so I'm going to wear out a less durable shoe faster than most. I went out and bought the Nike Air Pegasus, arguably the greatest running shoe ever made. If I had to guess I'd say it's probably my third pair. Eggers, Mitchell, and Caitlin train in these, as well. They make me feel like I'm running on pillows, and they're pretty light, too. Also, they look sweet. I'm not posting a picture, though. I don't want any envy on this blog.

McMullen Recovery

Distance: 6.50 mi
Time: ??

I had to meet a client in Fort Mill this morning. I skipped the Dowd run, choosing to get more than four hours of sleep instead, and entertained ideas of trying to run on the other side of the border after my meeting. I knew the Anne Springs Close greenway was down here somewhere, and I had heard good things about it. So, I made a Facebook post asking for ideas. This led to a bunch of catty females arguing on my page over whose suggestion was the best and where I should go. Women are crazy. I just ended up at McMullen.

Running Buddy died on me again, so no data for this run. I was surprised to see so many people on the greenway for a mid-morning run, and just got in 6.5 miles.

Temp-o Time!

Distance: 9.00 mi
Time: 01:03:59 - 7:06 ppm
Running Buddy

Ah, yes...a successful tempo run. It's about damn time. I met David Brinkley at the Y at 5:50 a.m. (yes, 5:50). I got there early only to have him find me in the bathroom and yell at me to hurry up. We milled around with Paul and some of the other Dowd crew regulars before taking off. The plan was to do one mile slow, then 2 at marathon goal pace (7:10), 4 at tempo pace (6:40), and 2 more at MGP.

We went down Morehead and headed towards the Little Sugar Creek greenway in an effort to keep all the tough miles on the flat section. The first mile went by in 7:52 and then we got off a little fast (6:56). Settling down just a bit, we were now ready for the hard part. Again, we started off too quickly, coming through the first mile of the tempo section in 6:27. We worked together and just tried to keep the wheels from coming off as we took the greenway all the way to Park Road shopping center and ran through the parking lot before finally turning around.

Miles five and six had gone by in 6:36 and 6:43. We were fading. We entered Freedom Park and managed to salvage things, picking up the pace and coming through in 6:37. My troublesome left shin was really bothering me on this run, so I stopped to tie my shoes tighter, which actually seemed to help. Dave was done, choosing to trot the final two miles back to the Y at cooldown pace. I was not able to keep it at MGP but tried my best to run a respectable pace back to the Dowd. I came upon Jamaar Valentine on the sidewalk on Morehead and cruised to the end.

It felt good to successfully complete a really hard workout like this, but I am worried about my left leg....again.

Cheerleader Run

Distance: 5.53 mi
Time: 00:44:44 - 8:05 ppm
Running Buddy

The idea for this run was to get in 7-9 miles, part of it done on the Speed Loop so I could cheer on Anne Marie, who had some short repeats on her plan for the day. I turned into a cheerleader for the group of Cailtin, Billy, Spada, and Eric Bilbrey as well. I wasn't sure what they were doing exactly but they were moving. I showed AM where Rebecca's house was so she could water there and basically tried to stay out of the way and get in my own miles. I didn't feel very well so I kind of ended up just trotting around before heading back to the Y with a not-so-happy female runner.