The Daily Log 1/3/09

Distance: 13.11 miles
Time: 1:44:30
Pace: 7:58/mile
Weight: 194lbs
Terrain: Gently Rolling
Temperature: Warm and overcast, gradually turning sunny. Intermittently breezy
Gear: Hospital Hill Tech Shirt, Adidas running shorts, Gobbler Grind Running Cap, iPod Shuffle, Nike Air Zoom Vomero Shoes
Hydration: Water, Gatorade
Fuel: None
Medical: Minor right shin, tight right hamstring
Recovery: Stretches, ice, Aleve
Shoe Mile Count: 293.41 miles
Days until Marathon: 15

I honestly wasn't planning such a blow out, but a combination of the weather and the knowledge that this would be my last truly long run before the race sent me out quickly and I simply never let up. It's the fastest pace per mile I've done during my whole training cycle, over any distance, even the short runs, and without wishing to sound show-offy, I think I could have run even a few seconds faster... at about 10ish miles in, a dog broke away from its owner and chased me a little way down the street. This led to my hamstring tightening up, so I had to back off for about a mile until that loosened up again. And yes, it was a big dog - a German Shepherd - not a miniature poodle thank you very much.

I actually was initially planning to run tomorrow but it's forecast to be some twenty degrees cooler, with winds 10 mph faster, and with my shin feeling OK, it was a fairly easy choice to move that up a day and instead take my two days off after the long run. The shin held up pretty well; it was much improved over Thursday, though still a little sore for the first mile or two. Other than that and the aforementioned dog-induced hamstring, the run was comfortable over a relatively gentle course (though I certainly did feel the inclines there were). The weather was insanely warm; almost like a mild summer day. The longer I was out there, the warmer - and sunnier - it became, until I was almost too warm despite wearing shorts and a short-sleeve top.

I mentioned the other day that I've stopped obsessing so much about my pace, and though I was probably somewhat reckless going this fast this late, part of it is a mental thing. I want to push myself from time to time. I'd like to say I won't do it again before the race, but I've broken that promise before, so I suppose this time I'll just say that I'll see and leave it at that.

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