Bill and I discussed our weekly run at length on Friday (somewhat to the chagrin of the other halficle denizens near us). After much discussion, we resolved to run 12 miles in DC Ranch. It would be a hilly, challenging run. But then we started talking about a meeting time. In order to beat the heat, we would need to start by 4:30 AM. ...START! Which would mean I would have to leave my house at 3:45 AM. Yikes! Which would mean I would have to wake up at... GULP! Never mind!
So I suggested, "Maybe we can save that run for when it's a little less hot and humid. Let's run with Barry." I asked Barry if he were up for a 10-miler, and he (somewhat reluctanly) said sure. Bill and I agreed to meet at his house at 5:00. We would run the length of the Murphy's Bridle Path, and then add a 1 1/2-mile out-and-back canal segment.
I stopped at the end of the Bridle Path on the way to the rendez vous and stashed a bag with some bottles of water. I made it to Barry's house (more or less) on time. We agreed to reign in the pace and keep it between 9:00 and 10:00 the whole way. That would allow everyone to finish the run without feeling beaten to death.
It was about 87 degrees with 50% humidity when we started. We set out, and started off good-- restraining our early-run enthusiasm and starting off at about a 9:15 pace. Bill realized his Garmin was on the fritz, but got it working after a half mile or so. We got to the Bridle Path and fell into a really nice groove. (The new Podrunner podcast I got from the Podrunner website was definitely helping.) We got to the end of the path, and I felt fresh and strong. We hung a right onto the Grand Canal. We thought briefly about continuing down to the end of Central Ave., but thought the canal would be a little better. The air next to the canal was unbelievably humid. You could almost drink it with a straw! Blech! We continued our rhythmic pace (Podrunning still helping me focus) until we got to the turnaround near 12th St. We stopped there to drink some water and talk about the first part of the run. While we were standing around, Barry's first-generation shuffle went on the fritz. I've run tuneless before (a result of forgetting to charge the iPod) and it sucks! Having to listen to your own breathing makes it difficult (for me) to get into a good rhythm.
After a couple minues, we resumed the run and ran back to the Bridle Path. I unplugged an earbud to keep Barry company, and we talked about this-n-that for a mile or so. We stopped briefly at the end of the Bridle Path to pick up our water. I wanted to make sure Barry finished his first 10-mile run strongly (so we can talk him into longer and tougher runs in the future), so I gave him my iPod for the rest of the run. I think the high energy dance music recharged him, because he set out like an unpenned colt! It was difficult to keep up with him for the rest of the run! High BPM dance music should be used with caution. :) Without music, it took a little while to find a good rhythm, but I did eventually manage to find a good groove. I thought about picking up my pace to keep up with Barry, but I figured he would only pick up his, and then me mine, ad infinitum, until we were running at a 6:00 pace. But I was determined to stick to a mid 9:00 pace. I'm reading Run Less, Run Faster and the authors make a point of not running every run as fast as you can. Long runs at a manageable pace are good for building your endurance. Indeed, I finished this run feeling like I could have run another 5 miles at that pace.
After the run, we went to our co-worker Vicki's house for a dip in her pool. The water was a tepid 92 degrees, but it helped get my core temperature back down quickly. On the drive home, I was amazed at how good my legs felt. I love a good run like this one! Activity | Route: | -- | Elev. Avg: | 0 ft | | Location: | Phoenix, AZ | Elev. Gain: | +0 ft | | Date: | 07/19/08 | Up/Downhill: | [+0/-0] | | Time: | 06:12 AM | Difficulty: | 0 / 5.0 | | | | Weather: | Mostly Cloudy | | | 87 F temp; 48% humidity | | | 89 F heat index; winds Calm |
| Distance: | 9.97 miles | | |
| Time: | 1:35:20 | | Speed: | 6.3 mph | | | | Pace: | 9' 34 /mi | | | | Calories: | 1610 | | |
Elevation (ft)
Pace (min/mile)
Splits | Mile | Pace (min/mile) | Speed (mph) | Elevation
Gain |
|---|
| actual | +/- avg | actual | +/- avg |
|---|
| 1 | 9' 55 | +0' 21 | 6.0 | -0.2 | -- ft | | 2 | 9' 28 | -0' 06 | 6.3 | +0.1 | -- ft | | 3 | 9' 38 | +0' 04 | 6.2 | -0.1 | -- ft | | 4 | 9' 39 | +0' 05 | 6.2 | -0.1 | -- ft | | 5 | 9' 35 | +0' 01 | 6.3 | -0.0 | -- ft | | 6 | 20' 00 | +10' 26 | 3.0 | -3.3 | -- ft | | 7 | 13' 55 | +4' 21 | 4.3 | -2.0 | -- ft | | 8 | 9' 18 | -0' 16 | 6.5 | +0.2 | -- ft | | 9 | 9' 23 | -0' 11 | 6.4 | +0.1 | -- ft | | 10 | 9' 53 | +0' 19 | 6.1 | -0.2 | -- ft | | Versus average of 9' 34 min/mile |
|
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