Training Day

It was a great day for my last obsessing training run at Greenland ahead of next Saturday's race.  I had intended to head up and do a "hot" lap to see what I could push, and then maybe run a second cutoff lap at a more reasonable pace.  However, when Kathleen woke up this morning, she wanted to at least try a run before she went to work.  This was the most awesome news I heard all week.  So I suited up and headed out with her for a 3.5 mile loop.  Now 3.5 miles certainly beats ZERO and I was stoked for her to run - Kathleen is quite a trooper and is going to come back to running with a vengeance once the hormones get leveled out.  Time to "take names", so to speak, after a year and a half of limbo ;-)

So I  fueled up with a little breakfast, threw some extra clothes in the truck, and hit the road.  As we have mentioned in the past, ad nauseum, no matter what time of day or what day of the week, there is usually wind at Greenland.  No different today, and it was a cold wind.  And I forgot liner gloves.  So as is the routine, roll off at the traditional race start at the gate for the Territorial Road and bore down straight into the teeth of the wind.  For 3.5 miles.  It was good today though.  I have been a bit nervous because I have basically a "non-plan" plan for getting ready for a race.  Having no background in "real" running, we know nothing of periodization, track workouts, Arthur Lydiard, blah blah blah blah....  Basically we run to have fun, do some hard tempo runs, some of which are on similar terrain to the race course, and see where the chips fall.  Scoff if you want, but when it is a bluebird sky day and we're out running delicious ribbons of singletrack and you can't because it is your 12x400x600x3000 or whatever, who is happier :))

Anyhoo, back to running.  I felt good on the doubletrack out, almost too good.  I hit Kipp's at 7:37 avg, the saddle at 7:50 avg, Greenland cutoff at 7:31 avg, then in to the finish - 8 miles, 59:00  and 7:22 avg.  Then I wet myself, err I mean, thought "What if I could hold that for 15.5???"  Now the week of nervous stomach starts!!!  Seriously, though, I don't know if most people need this sort of run but it will actually help my mind rest this week with comfort that I have put in the requisite training for my goal.  We'll find out in a week!  I ran a 2.5 mile cool down after swapping out shoes and sloshing down some Blueberry Pomegranate Gu Brew, putting the day's work at 14 miles, and the last long effort for the training cycle.

BTW, I wore the Saucony Kinvara for the hot loop.  Not sure if it has adequate tread for the sand, but man it sure flowed nicely as far as I could tell.  My plan all along was to race in the Peregrine, but now I am waffling.  At 2.5 ounces less per shoe, it may not be such a bad idea.  Any suggestions pro or con???

Done!  And feeling pretty good too!

Greenland OPEN Space, with Pikes Peak in the distance

Spruce Mountain on the left with Noe Road rolling away

So there is the profile for the full lap...

...and my splits

Working on the Pagosa Springs post - it should be up tonight or tomorrow with some sweet pics of Springtime in the Rockies!  Also wanted to get an early "Good Luck" out there for next week at Greenland - Ace and Brad running the 50k, and Craig running the 8 miler - should be good times out on course!