Unstructured Runs Are Fun

I found myself down at SPAA, late, having taken Bailey to ballet and not wanting to drive home only to have to drive back a couple of hours later.  So, with a couple of hours to kill, I thought it might be fun to use the time for a nighttime, follow-my-nose-and-see-where-I-go easy run.  My plan for the day was to put in 40-45 minutes at an easy recovery pace after yesterday's hill workout.  I could do that on an unstructured run.  I'd done that before, in the same area many months ago.  I could do it tonight.

And I did.  I was wearing my newer K-Swiss already, though I hadn't run in them yet.  I figured they were broken in enough and ready for action.  And I had a pair of shorts and a singlet in the trunk.  So I changed in the studio, put my ID in my shorts key pocket, left my phone in the car, and headed out.  No iPod.  No heart rate monitor.  I did have my watch, but I only kept track of what time it was to make sure I was back before Bailey was done.  I didn't time myself (well, at least not until I got to the track...which I'll get to in a minute).

I didn't feel very fresh at first.  I ran over to Scripps Ranch High School to see if the track was open.  It was but there were no other runners.  The football team was practicing under the lights and I didn't want to test the open track policy, so I turned back and headed up Scripps Ranch Blvd toward Scripps-Poway Pkwy.  I took a detour down a side street after the initial hill got my heart rate pumping a little more than I thought was prudent.  I made a loop down below the condos there and returned to Scripps Ranch Blvd.

By now, I was starting to feel strong, so I was bold and turned left, heading up the steep hill. 

I never realized it in all the times I've driven it, but that hill is LOOONG.  And steep.  This was supposed to be a recovery run, and here I was pushing the exertion, pumping up this hill.  I had to walk at one point and catch my breath.  The entire hill measured out at 1 mile.  I have no idea what the grade was; maybe 10%? 

The turnaround was easy and my only concern was coming down hard on the ankle in the dark.  At one point, coming off a curb, I misjudged the step and kind of jarred my back.  But suffered no injury.  By the time I got back to the bottom of the hill at Mira Mesa Blvd, I was feeling great and lively.  I picked up my iPod at the car and headed back to the high school track.  I wanted to experiment with the "run" playlist I have with songs selected or adjusted to 170-180 beats per minute.  I wanted to see what sort of pace I would keep at various stride rates. 

I was assured by one of the football team managers that I would get hassled for using the track during their practice.  I just had to stay clear of the inner field.  So I put in a few laps and concluded that a comfortable pace at 180-185 bpm equates to around a 7:20 pace, at least for awhile.  Not sure if that would last on a longer run, but at least it's a baseline. 

I added some non-running exercises, like side steps and backwards running to exercise the ankles, and then jogged back to SPAA.  I figure I put in about 6 miles altogether, and spent somewhere between 45-60 minutes doing it, though not all continuously.  I think it was the perfect easy run, despite the hill.  It was a lot of fun.  Maybe that's why I've spent so many words describing it. 

I'm also procrastinating getting to some research I need to do tonight in preparation for a meeting tomorrow.  It's getting late.  I should get on with that now.