Running in the Park

Jim and I had a very nice run on the grass trails, early in the morning.  The temperature is reaching toward 100 again today and already 75, so if we were to run at all, an early run was required, even if the trails were still wet from dew.  Bless his heart, Jim put up with my run/walk pace, now running 30 seconds of each minute.  We ran fast enough to limit my efforts at conversation somewhat, but of course this was a comfortable jog for Jim and he easily filled in the voids.  I enjoy that.

We marveled at the flowers in the park’s open fields, sailed over wet spots in the shaded woods, almost hit a deer driving into the park, stepped carefully past gopher mounds, skipped over a little snake, got our shoes really dirty, and more or less wallowed in nature this morning.  What more could a runner ask?

6.22 miles in 1:12:18, for a pace of 11:37.  Huh - I thought we were going faster - I was hoping for a sub-eleven result.  Oh well - it’s still pretty good (for me) for a 6-mile run.  I worked hard, pushed up most of the hills without regard for the run/walk ratio, and certainly felt the effort in my legs.  It’s the kind of run that may help me get back some speed.

Over the next weeks and months I’ll gradually increase the proportion of running in the run/walk, and do some speedwork or perhaps some 5k races.  If I can stay injury-free, that should help me get some speed back.  A year ago I ran a sub-5-hour marathon, and I’d love to do that again this fall.

Whining:  None!  It’s a masterpiece.