GREAT MYSTIQUE

Since I didn't get around to posting on Friday and I'm not sure I'll be able to post tomorrow, I thought I'd make a rare weekend entry - if nothing else, just to provide an update my training.

After Thursday's 12, it's probably no surprise that my legs were a little tired on Friday. I still managed 7 miles.

Saturday I thought about racing a half marathon on some trails, but I decided against that. I figured since I run on trails every morning and since I wouldn't be "racing" I might as well save my money. Instead I just ran a stronger paced 10 mile loop from my house. I run most of my weekday morning runs at 8:00 - 8:30 pace, so a "stronger pace" means 7:20. My legs felt great from the start and the weather was just beautiful, 45 degrees, sunny and calm - it would have been perfect marathoning weather. This run gave me 70 miles for the week on 7 runs.

Today I bumped my "long" run up a mile from last week - making it 16 miles. I have no way of knowing for sure, but this may have been the hilliest 16 miler I've ever run. I ran through Lebanon Hills Regional Park and basically spent an hour on the west side of the park near the mountain bike trails and then ventured to the east side of the park for another hour.

I'm not sure why, but I rarely run near the mountain bike trails. Maybe it's because the hills are a lot more brutal than where I'm used to running. Anyway, it was a great combination of shorter steeper hills followed by longer more gradual hills. If I can continue to build my long runs on this type of terrain, Heartbreak Hill won't be a problem - at least getting up it. Going down the other side could still be a different story.

Quote of the day;

"The great mystique of Heartbreak Hill is not getting up it. It's getting down it." - John Treacy