These are my feet after Saturday's 18-miler in the RAIN. I know it's a bad picture, but I want to point out that I am not tan.I am MUDDY.
And COLD.
And HAPPY...
I expected rain on Saturday, and weighed the pro's and con's of getting out there first thing vs. waiting till there was a break in the weather. The need for more sleep and the fact that I needed to take Leopold to get his pinewood derby car cut out was the decider- I waited. (Some nice parent was willing to bring in his band saw and help the kids cut the shapes of their cars out on a Saturday morning. So nice. But really, would yould you expect any less from Scouts?).
So, of course, there's no rain until riiiight before 3:00, as I'm getting ready to run. Great. So I drive to Carrier Park since I have a 15 mile out-and-back route that's fairly flat, leaving me with just 3 miles to run once I get back to the Park. As I park, it starts pouring. Oh, well. I was slightly cheered by remembering a couple of breakthrough runs last training cycle in downpours like this. Perhaps today will be a good day...
As I started out, I noticed I felt very strong and ready to run. Things like that get my attention. A couple of miles in, I realized I was going to change my Progression run to a Steady State Run to take advanage of how I was feeling. Normally, I don't make changes like that. But occasionally, there are moments where you just know that changing something is the right thing to do. This was one of them.
For the first 15 miles I averaged 9:31 pace:
9:36
9:39
9:27
9:31
9:31
9:39
9:00
8:38
9:18
9:28
9:32
9:34
9:34
9:33
9:35
When I got back to Carrier Park ...
I was tired. *
My thumb was bleeding. **
My legs were done.
And I think, "Perfect time to test Marathon Pace".***
9:03
9:07
9:09
Now. I. Am. Done.
I am a Steady State Progression Running Master of Efficiency (SSPRMOE***)
* Duh!
** My nails turn in to rice paper after 2 hrs. in the rain. Something as simple as tying a shoelace is enough to tear them down to the quick.
*** Thank you everyone for your posts when I was contemplating the downward adjustment of my marathon pace. I do believe the sub-4 dream is still alive.
Very strong, Psyche. Continue to explore your potential. Those limitations you believe in are temporary, see what is over the horizon.
ReplyDeleteThose are great numbers Psyche! LOL, I love the "tan line" pic..I love peeling off my socks after a good run to check out my dirt/tan line!
ReplyDeleteGreat run in awful conditions...wow, your times are really good! Cute pic ;)
ReplyDeleteHow appropriate, my word verification is "ranni" rain shuffled :) sort of
My comment on breaking 4 doesn't show! - but I said the same as everyone else. Fragile nails can (and I stress CAN) be a sign of something else, from nutritional deficiencies to thyroid problems.
ReplyDeleteSo, was the 8:38 downhill?
Awesome time, especially in those brutal conditions. Way to go!!! You deserve a rest after that run.
ReplyDeleteYou are doing so good...awesome time for your fifteen miler!! I love the picture of your feet. Take it easy now and pamper yourself a little:) You are going to do so well at your next marathon..I know it!! Enjoy your week!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog! Great job on the long run. I can tell you that I've had some long miles in the rain. It always seems so much worse before you do it, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteOh I think I've seen those feet before. On me. Sadly, at not such a speedy pace as you!
ReplyDeleteThe most I've ever run in a downpour was 13.1 for a half marathon in Chicago two years ago, and I had my best time up to that point. I'm a firm believer in shitty weather making you faster.
Way to keep up an awesome pace in the rain! Keep up the excellent training!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great run/pace in icky weather, wow!!! Something about rain must make us just want to finish the thing, my first BQ'er was in total rain! So look how strong you are now :). I think all our winter feet are feeling the affects of no flip flops for many months...COME ON SUN!!!
ReplyDeleteVery nicely done Psyche! You are doing so well, keep it up. Too bad about the nail. It makes me cringe just thinking of what that felt like. I think you are very ready for the 4 hour marathon.
ReplyDeleteScouts are fun. My son has such a busy schedule that we have not been able to participate, but he enjoyed it when we used to go.