8/24

Today's Plan: run a set course with a set time
I have this loop around my house, roughly 5.5 miles. It is exceedingly hilly so I either come back over the Mountain, or I gradually climb over the course of a couple miles with some steep and some laid back hills. I've been thinking of this Loop all summer, not sure that I could accomplish it. It might be helpful here to point out that I don't walk during my runs. If I had to stop, then I didn't accomplish  the goal.  When I ran my 6.3m on the local rail trail, I saw an old friend that I hadn't seen off FB in a year or more. I didn't stop, just said hi and kept going, otherwise I couldn't have said I ran the whole trail between Gardiner and Augusta. Goals are important, I need a reason for the run. Doesn't matter if it's distance, time, interval, I like to have a purpose when I walk out the door. Today's run was actually rather slow, it had a dual purpose. Could I do the Loop? And could I  maintain the same pace throughout, uphill and down? Picking a pace and retaining it is hard, even a slow pace--I kept trying to speed up. Strangely, I thought it would be easier to end on the Mountain, even after 4 miles, rather than the up/down/up/up/down/up section. It's really a triangle, so after 2.5m, I reached the tipping point: it was no longer easier to go back than to continue. Climbing the Mountain after that run was just about the hardest thing I have done so far. But I did it, and my miles were within 30 seconds of each other. Except for the Mountain climb. It is distinctly possible a turtle could have beat me to the top.  So now I have to conquer the other way. And I figure when I can loop it twice, I'll be just about ready for a 1/2 maration.