Friday, November 23, 2007

Chilly and windy

This morning I got out a little later than usual. I had off today and took full advantage of the time. I woke up relatively late as my alarm clock (named Riley and Quinn) didn't go off until 7 AM. By the time I got out of the house, it was 8:20 and 30 degrees.

The plan was to run down to Twin Brook park, run the trails a bit and then head home. The run to the park went well at a pace near 7:30 and I felt great. The run around the trails was a little complicated as there is a bit of construction going on and I found myself right in the middle of it when I tried to run across a patch of cleared ground which turned out to be mud. This lasted for about 100 yards and resulted in me carrying about 10 lbs. of mud on my feet. There were quite a few people milling around Twin Brook with their dogs, obviously enjoying their day off as I was mine.

The trip home did not go as well. The temperatures did not change much as it was around 32 on the way back but what did change was the wind. I realized the reason for the easy trip to the park was due to tailwind I had been riding. This same wind about stood me up going home. At 32 degrees with the wind in my face, I realized I am not quite acclimated yet to run in the cold. For some reason the last few morning runs have left me short of breath and feeling as if my long gone exercise induced asthma was back. Not sure what's up but I will be keeping an eye on it.

I did take this opportunity to listen to a few Podcasts from Endurance Radio and The Final Sprint. Highlights included a talk with David Goggins (the dude is unbelievable) and Karl Meltzer, a way laid back guy. Also of note is that we are now just over 7 days from the Western States 100 lottery. Knowing my chances are slim (but I am not giving up yet), I am very comfortable and excited about running a 100 in my native land of Virginia. The Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 will be a very special race. We'll see soon enough.

Time: 1:27:54
Distance: 11.0
Avg. Pace: 7:58/mile
Avg. HR: 154 bpm.
Weather: 32F avg., 10mph Wind

For a little enjoyment, check out the video below. Who would have thought I would find a real cool band watching an animated movie with my daughter (the movie is Surf's Up and is definitely as much geared towards adults than kids).

Stand Tall

Add to My Profile | More Videos

No comments: