The plan called for a marathon pace run. That could be anywhere from 8:15 to 8:45, but my objective was to try to run it the way I plan to run the first 7 miles of the RnR, which is sloooow. So I created a timetable of checkpoints based on an 8:45 pace.
It took me a block or two to unwork the kinks. I've been running for quite awhile now, but I guess it's a fact of life that I have to go through that initial spool-up and get the muscles and joints warmed up. Didn't used to be that way. I could just accelerate and be gone. Not anymore.
That's okay, through. I run better now with a good warmup than I did in my younger days when I didn't, or wouldn't.
Today, though, once I got going, I felt really bouncy and energetic. The wind was stiff from the west, so the first half of the run was mostly with the wind in my face. It wicked the heat away and didn't bother me strength-wise since most of that section is a gentle down slope.
At my first check point, I was already 2 minutes fast. By the park water fountain at 4 miles, I'd gained nearly 5 minutes. Instead of 8:45, I was doing 7:30, and that was counting a couple of short delays at lighted intersections. I knew I was opening it up a little, early, but it felt good and I didn't plan to hold the quick pace for long. I was probably doing closer to 7:00 at points and thinking that I was throttling back but only slowing down to 8:00 or so.
I did a little light jogging around the parking lot after getting water to let my "virtual self" catch up, and then headed on for the rest of the route. It's a steady downhill from there and hard to go slow anyway, and by the time I'd reached the backside of the 24 Hour Fitness building, I'd already built up over a 2 minute lead again. I did some backwards jogging to let the clock catch up again, but from that point on I decided just to run it comfortably and not worry about pace timetable.
I wound up covering the final 2.25 miles at just under a 7:30 pace, and this despite the hard uphill from Yarrow. Instead of pretending like it was the first 7 miles of the marathon, I wound up trying to imagine it being a glorious last 7 miles to the marathon. Oh, how great it would be if I could hold that kind of pace around Fiesta Island and across the finish line.
I did feel the hips yet again, but I'm learning to accept it and run through it. It's not like it's an injured pain. It's fatigue, and it sure seems that running more slowly and shuffling exaggerates it. Concentrating on running from the hips and levering the feet up to the fanny help overcome the discomfort. I notice I kick my own ankles less when I work at the "lever/lift" form mantra.
I read that when tapering, you start to notice all kinds of new aches and pains. Today, mine was the right calf...or whatever it is that's below the calf and above the Achilles tendon. That area feels really tight. I spent a good 20 minutes at Pure Fitness afterwards, stretching.
I titled this "Pace Fail," but it really didn't feel like a failure. In fact, I was quite happy with the run. Other than the two larger hill segments, I never really felt winded and felt like I had a spring in my step. As I got more weary, it felt like I was slowing down, but I wasn't really. The lesson for me is that my perception of pace is very much influenced by fatigue. As much as I've tried, I probably can't rely on what I'm feeling yet. I'll have to pay close attention to the clock and the mileage to gauge my pace.
I don't know what to do about tomorrow. I'm supposed to do a light run and work some circuit training...maybe swim. I'll either do 30 minutes on the treadmill with some 100m strides, or I'll do an easy lap around Lake Miramar with a few acceleration gliders in the mix.
I'm feeling very good right now.
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