Back in Gear

8.00 miles, 59:30, 7:26 pace, Max HR = 170, Avg HR = 155, 71% Z4, 23% Z3, 90 degrees.

It feels good to be back in the saddle. My Achilles is only slightly bothersome, despite a marathon and a couple of days of relatively hard short runs. I'm ready to give it my all and push for my next goal: A three hour marathon. My goal race is the Houston Marathon in January 2009. Every run I do between now and then will be done with the intention of shaving off twelve minutes from my best marathon time and breaking three hours at Houston. I bought a re-usable rubber 3:00 pace bracelet at the Ogden Marathon expo, and I wore it yesterday as a symbolic start toward my goal.

I didn't know how I would feel today, but after a slow first mile (8:13), I followed that up with 7:13, 7:30, 6:59, 7:13, and 7:23 miles. I was tired and ready to go home, but a thought came to me. It's not often that I get the chance to run when my legs are tired. Usually I have to go fifteen miles or so before I'm running on weak legs. And that's when I really expand my limits. Today I got the opportunity to practice running through fatigue after only six miles. So I pushed forward and completed two more at 7:36 and 7:14 before going home and watching the Hornets drop game seven to the Spurs. That was a disappointment, but at least I had a good run. I followed it up with some intense core exercises, which I hope to turn into a post-run habit.

Another thought came to me when I was running. I've never seen so many people running at the park near my house before. I guess the warm weather brought everyone out, although 90 degrees isn't my idea of great running weather. Regardless, the thought was that I would like to invite my PIMsters to run with me in my own territory. So if any of you out there are interested in meeting up for a run in my neighborhood park, send me an email or comment on this post. (You can click the link at the top to figure out where White Oak and Stude park is -- NW Corner of I-10 andI-45.)

I wonder if I can get up early enough tomorrow morning to get a few miles in before work, since I'm going to the Astros game after work.

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TDLY - 5/19/07 - 2.41 miles, 21:49, 9:03 pace, Max HR = 150, Avg HR = 139. I started running at 6:15 that morning in order to get a run in before a road trip to Baton Rouge. Blog Entry.