Getting Back in the Groove

NSP Community Center indoor track, 12 miles in 1:41:24, pace 8:27. Good enough since I was shooting for 8:37 or so. Felt re-energized toward the end of this run, ramping up a bit in the last mile. Also, truth be told, a little anxious to get out of the Jazzerciser din that saturated the community center for the last half hour of the run. Splits: 8:27, 8:25, 8:42, 8:22, 8:28, 8:20, 8:38, 8:21, 8:44, 8:21, 8:45, & 7:53. I took water every two miles and gel at 2, 6, & 10, accounting for the longer splits in the following mile. Longest run so far since NYC, and NO PAINS worth mentioning. No noticeable effect from last night’s first dose of thalidomide either, but it’s early. I wonder if I should try to run my next marathon at this pace; today it felt like I could do it. I think that a PR is still a little out of reach; I’d have to run 8:12. But I’m feeling strong now and there are almost five weeks to go.


I tried the heart-rate experiment again today, but it didn’t work too well because the HR monitor kept sliding down my body. Why this time and not before? Dunno. Before that happened, HR settled at about 140 bpm nearing the 2 mile mark. Then when I took a gel with water, it went up and settled at about 145 or 146 before I lost the monitor at about 4 miles. So I’m thinking that the gel does bump up the HR a little, maybe 5 points. I guess that’s the price I’ll have to pay. Best to keep training with gel.

So far the only effect I’ve felt from the single small dose of thalidomide was a good nights sleep. It was originally released as a sleep aid, and it works! A beneficial side effect :-)