Yet Another Lake Miramar Run

I guess Lake Miramar has become my favorite routine training ground, because I was out there again this morning.  I like it because it's flat, it has quarter mile markers, and Quin likes to ride his bike along with me, which makes for some good father/son bonding (and I'm also up for encouraging him to get some outdoor activity). 

I hope I didn't make a mistake by running today.  Tomorrow's my long run, and normally I'll try to give myself a rest day before undertaking a personal distance record-breaker.  But I was so low on weekly miles thanks to the Catalina trip, I just felt like I needed some easy miles.

I practiced a run/walk rhythm, trying to keep an even 8:00 pace for a mile, punctuated by 30 seconds of brisk walking in between.  I covered 6 miles following this pattern and it only added 30 seconds to my overall time over that distance if I had simply run continuously at an 8-minute mile pace.  I understand that it doesn't simply add 30 seconds for each walk break because I'm still covering a little bit of ground during the intervals, so from the time I pick up running again until I reach the next mile post is going to be a little shorter than 8-minutes, even if I'm judiciously keeping an 8:00 pace. 

But I wasn't.  I still would drift up in my speed and would sometimes completely make up the lost time due to walking by running a slightly quicker pace.  It really takes discipline.  Oh, it's probably not hard on the back end of a long run, but the point of the run/walk strategy is to keep legs fresher longer, but if you're running quicker at the early stages on fresh legs, you're basically compromising the gains you hope to realize at the later distances. 

Since I only was out for a little over 6 miles, I didn't really reap any endurance benefits from taking walk breaks.  It was mostly just to train myself on the pattern, since I'm going to want to try it tomorrow on the long run, without any mile markers to guide me.  I plan to go strictly by the watch, running for 8 minutes at what I believe will be an easy 8:00 or slower pace and then walk for 30-40 seconds.  I'm trying to drill in my head that I'm not going to be trying to cover the 23 miles in a race-worthy time.  I merely want to cover the distance and benefit from the endurance and strength gains.  This is my 2nd to last 20+ mile long run, so I have to make it count. 

I finished off today's run, after the 6th slow and easy mile with an up-tempo half, just to remind myself that my fast twitch muscles need work too.  That felt good, mainly for my ego since it's tough to let other joggers and runners pass you and not speed up to show them you're capable of being somewhat competitive.  I'm not racer face by any stretch of the imagination, but an 8:00 to 8:15 pace just looks and feels so pedestrian. 

While running slow, short distances, I have been working on my form, trying to get my heel to my butt more, keeping my toes from pointing up, not hunching my shoulders or keeping a tight fist...  I've become self-conscious of my bow-legged tendency to bend my leg at the knee outward slightly on the compression portion of my stride.  I may be doing that when I compensate to avoid risk of turning an ankle when I point my toe slightly outward on the foot plant.  If I concentrate, I can keep my toes pointed forward and it doesn't feel like my upper leg/femur twists outward so much and my knee stays facing forward, keeping my whole leg aligned better.  I don't now if that's true or if it helps delay fatigue in my hips, knees and ankles.  I think the improved midfoot/forefoot landing is making me feel the ground much better -- like running barefoot -- and that's what helps me avoid injury.  I don't think I need to be yawing my feet outward to protect against the risk. 

Whatever...it's fun to examine the mechanics of running and to try to improve.  It'd be great if I had a coach, but I don't have that luxury so I'll just keep coaching myself, and learning from my mistakes. 

Bailey's out at her high school prom.  I probably won't stay up for when she comes home.  I'd like to start winding down now and getting to bed ultra early so that I can start out in the morning at the crack of dawn.  She looked so pretty.  I can't believe I have a teenage daughter and an almost teenage son.  Where has the time gone?  "Turn Around."