Long Run - 17

Did a long run today, the plan was to go 16. Coming off the Mount Evans training run and the recent races, I wanted to go slow and easy but do the full 16. Although I felt good after yesterdays run, a little dead in the legs and some aches, but I'll take it. I consider 16 actual long run territory and a good base as I build toward a fall marathon and pikes peak in August. How did I end up at 17?

Gina and I met her sister Lisa and husband Greg and Creyton at CC Park this morning to walk the dogs. They just got another dog, they are crazy, they just got a Rottweiler puppy 2 months ago and already had a big dog. They got a full grown Pyrenees, looks like a polar bear and has to go near 200 pounds. Anyway, we took our dogs and met over by the East Side boat ramp. I walked with them over to the swim beach at 9:00. Telling them how crazy they are, classic empty nest syndrome and we are going to have an intervention because they keep accumulating pets. Below is a picture of Lisa and their 3 dogs, the new one (Herculese) is the polar bear on the left.

Then I started running. I ran back to the car and got my water pack and drank some gatorade and I was off. I went through the wetlands trails, the bugs were really bad where it was swampy or near the water (gnats). But it was cool in the wetlands with lots of shade and great trails to run on. I weaved through there and then out toward the path. I had arranged to meet Alicia over where she finished Chilly Cheeks to do a few miles together (5 or so) at her pace and then I was going to run home. I ran over to the Marina and had about 15 minutes till we were to meet. I ran around some and over to the path on the dam that goes about 2/3 across the lake, I had seen it and Jill told me it was good to run on so I went out and back on it. There were lots of pelicans in the water and some cranes, it's a wide path with cinder and plenty of room even with fishermen and people walking. The lake was packed today with boats and jet skis. In fact the whole park was packed, lots of bike riders. So I headed over to the marina, used the bathroom, had a gu and then ran over to meet Alicia, right at 10. I saw her running down from the Park entrance on the west side, right on time. I was at 5 miles total, so 5 with her and then 6 home and that would give me 16.

We talked a bit, she brought me a cold gatorade which was perfect. Thanks Alicia! I drank half and put it in the bushes for when we got back. We talked about our run and she wanted to do trails, which was good with me, but she wasn't real familiar with the park. I knew the 5k loop from there, and a trail that would add another 2 miles or so, so I took the lead. We ran over to the middle school and then down the cinder path toward butterfly hill (where the pope was in 1994 or something). I took one wrong turn that led to a neighborhood so we had to double back out. It is a hilly area with ups and downs. We headed down to the road and then I took a right over to the trails that run along the road past the shooting range. The trail here turns into single track and can be a bit rough, wasn't sure if Alicia wanted the footing, but she said it was fine. As we were running we talked about running, training, races etc. She's a triathlete so running is a secondary sport to her, but she is very good at it. We held around an 8:30-8:45 pace which is what she wanted and it worked good for me too.

I wanted to loop back around and take the bike path back to the starting point, but I got on the trail and could not find the feeder back to the bike path. Everything is so overgrown with all the rain. That's how I ended up with 17. I ended up doing 7 miles with Alicia by the time I found the feeder path and we got on the bike trail and we took it back. No big deal but it was an extra 2 miles, worked out well for her because she only needed 10 more minutes to run after we were done. We finished and then ran down to the water and bathrooms where I filled up my water bottle, finished the gatorade she brought, got a gu and went to the bathroom. We said goodbye and she ran off to her car and I started my run home in opposite directions.

6 Miles the shortest way, so that would put me at 18, 2 over what I wanted. It was also getting hot and the sun was out. I knew this would test my endurance, but did not want to get injured or miss a lot next week trying to recover. I decided I would walk the hills back to my house. There are 3 major hills on the way back, so I walked them and ended up just over 17. My pace slowed down on the way back too and I was starting to feel the aches and pains all over (my hip every time I stopped to walk and started running) and the heat and the weekly mileage (52 Miles this week, the most yet). Anyway I made it home just under 2:30:00 running time, right before noon. I grabbed some ice packs and jumped in an ice bath right away, icing my knees and hip while soaking my legs, it felt good.

Thanks for the run Alicia, it was fun and you helped me get through an overdue long run and push my endurance.

17.1 Miles 2:29:46

Garmin Watch Data for Run