84 in the Shade

Sunday, June 10, 2012:

If you like warm, sunny mornings, this was a perfect one.  79 when we got to the park at about 8:30, and 84 an hour later when we finished the run.  Oddly, though, the air didn't feel humid to me, and even in the sun I didn't really feel too warm, perhaps because of a delightful breeze.  Just nice.  The grass was perfectly dry, probably because of that same breeze.  A very enjoyable run.  I did the usual 2 to 1 walk / run, finishing 3.89 miles in 46:17.  That’s a pace of 11:54, a bit faster than the marathon pace I expect to run in Anchorage two weeks from now.

Whining:  No pains!  I wish that marathon was tomorrow.

Actually, I’m seeing a KSTP TV sports reporter tomorrow morning, which will be fun.

Saturday, June 9:

St Croix Valley Runners.  I wish I could run 100% of the time for 5 miles, because that’s what my buddies do.  This morning I started out with them, but only for one minute, then slowed to the walk/run regimen.  Toward the end of that Dave joined me, and we finished four miles at 46:40, for an overall pace of 11:40.  I may have run a little more than the 2 to 1 walk to run ratio I had planned, especially after Dave joined me, because that was slightly faster than any other four miles since the hernia surgery.

I’m in the taper for the next marathon now, two weeks away, and "they" say that a runner should reduce mileage but maintain intensity during that time.  That’s been my practice for 63 marathons.  I’d love to run faster, of course, increase the intensity, but I sure don’t want to mess up the hernia surgery or cause any other injury before the upcoming marathon.  This run was just right.

Whining:  None.  Yay.

Photo:  Fountain on the back (east) side of McCormick Place in Chicago, site of the ASCO Conference last week.  This is visible only from Lake Michigan and the Lakeshore Trail.  No real road goes past it.