Officially Tapering

Well, my last really hard workout is done so I am officially tapering.  I hope I didn't wait too long seeing as how the race is a mere two weeks away, but I think I will be fine.  I ran easy 6.5 miles through some trails I found not far from my sister's neighborhood this morning, and if I'm up for it I'm going to do about a 12-mile long run on Sunday when I get back.  Essentially, I will have an easier workout or no workout, and a shorter long run, but other than that my runs should be the same for the next week.

Thankful for Tempo Runs

Well, I usually do my workouts on Wednesdays but this week I would have to do it on a Thursday because of the travel schedule.  I wanted to do a ten-mile progression run, meaning I would start off at an easy trot (7:30 pace) and gradually get faster each mile, with the last one hopefully being in the low 6s.  However, since I don't own a GPS watch and I had no idea where I was, this was out the window.  I instead mapped five miles away from my sister's house on the main neighborhood road and planned to run there and back. 

I still wanted to start out slow and gradually increase the pace, but since I wouldn't know my splits each mile this would essentially just be another tempo run.  I was out the door at 6:30 a.m., well before the rest of the house had awakened, and it was a muggy 65 degrees here on the Georgia coast.  How appropriate that the road where I would turn around was called "Steeplechase Drive."  I figured I could remember that.  Now, had it been called "Marathon Avenue," or "Jason Turn Around Street," that would have been a little too weird. 

I've never been good at running fast or pacing myself when I don't have an idea of my surroundings.  Even when I run a new route in Charlotte, I always know how much further I have to go because I know the area.  Not the case today.  I started out a little too fast - I'd guess around 7:00 pace - and was feeling pretty good, aside from some slight tightness in the left leg.  I got past the point where I had turned around yesterday and began to pick up the pace, still feeling a little tight but otherwise moving well.  I'd guess I bumped it down to about 6:40 or better for the next few miles.  This road twists and turns, and since there was no traffic, I essentially made tracks by running on the tangents to ensure the shortest route possible (that's how it usually ends up getting measured online, anyway).  At one point the houses suddenly got a lot bigger and I noticed there was a nice golf course back here.  I wondered if there were any diehards about to tee off on Thanksgiving morning. 

I slowed down when I got to where I thought Steeplechase would be because I didn't want to miss it, and then picked up the pace again after I turned around.  Not long after that, I started to feel a little tight and just tried to maintain for the next few miles.  There is a large building with a red roof - some sort of lodge and spa - about two miles from my sister's street, and I began to look for that.  I figured there was no way I could have missed it, so I slowed down some, thinking I had further to go, and this cost me a better average pace.  I'd estimate I ran 7:30 or slower for about a mile and a half.  When I realized I had already passed the lodge and spa I picked it up and was running pretty hard when I made it home.

After measuring the route again I determined I ran 10.24 miles at just under 7-minute average pace - 6:56 to be exact.  Not blazing but probably right at race pace, so I'll take it.

Savannah cruiser

My sister's family moved to Savannah this fall, and while she's been back a couple times I had yet to go see her.  I was looking forward to celebrating Turkey Day in unfamiliar territory - and we also had my niece's second birthday to celebrate.

I must say, my skills as an uncle are pretty off-the-charts, and my niece is the cutest kid of all-time!  We ask her, "Lilyana, where's your little sister?"  and she pats her mother's belly (my sister is six months pregnant with another girl).  I got her to play "track and field" with me, which basically involved me setting up a large (to her) obstacle in the middle of the room and having her sprint towards it, wild eyed, as I picked her up and flipped her over it.

....And at the grandparents' house, we can hang on the rim!

I had an easy day today, so I mapped a seven-mile out-and-back from my sister's house.  She lives in suburban Savannah, about a ten-minute drive from uptown.  I felt pretty good on the run, despite the car ride.