I need to find me a 5K race!

0, 03mi

Start time: 5/6/07, 8:00am
Location: Capital Crescent Trail
Distance: 3 miles
Average pace: 7:55min/mile

Empowered & Fit started their training season this morning; I’ll be doing some assistant coaching this season but on the days I’m not, I’ll be out there running. So, it was time trial morning where you figure out what group you’ll be in. I was in the first group to head out, and while I wasn’t the first one to finish (that was Andreas with his 6min/miles… good lord…) I was quite pleased to knock out a 23:46, which means that on my training days I’ll be with the 9min/mile group. I’m happy with that. Even better, on the days I’m running on Sundays, I’ll get to do so with Laura and Dave and Paul and the rest. Yay!

Scavenger Hunt

0, 05mi, custis, pacers arlington

Start time: 5/3/07, 7:00pm
Location: Clarendon and the Custis Trail
Distance: 5.4 miles
Average pace: 8:57min/mile

This was both fun and deadly; a scavenger hunt as part of a running route. It started out like the normal Tuesday Clarendon run from Pacers, but we went the opposite direction on the Custis Trail and ran a little over an extra mile as a result. The course? Also full of hills. Yay, hills.

But hey, I won a $100 gift certificate so I’m not complaining!

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=921565

Quickie

0, 02mi

Start time: 5/1/07, 6:30pm
Location: Arlington Boulevard Trail
Distance: 2 miles
Average pace: 9:06min/mile

The plan was to actually run 4 miles, not 2, but my calf was feeling a little stiff and I quickly decided that discretion really is the better part of valor. That, and there was a breeze kicking up a nasty amount of dust and dirt from the road and I was actually starting to choke. Fun!

Belated Saturday

0, 10mi

Start time: 4/28/07, 8:00am
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 10 miles
Run:Walk Ratio: 6:1 (& none)
Average pace: 11:00min/mile

On Saturday I went running with some of my old running buddies—Carla, Chanty, Craig, MJ, and Randy. It was all about running with them and enjoying the good company, so they picked the pace (and a run:walk ratio, which I haven’t done in quite a while!) and off we went. It was good to catch up with them, if a little slower than I was used to. Randy and Chanty needed to slow down on the way back from the inital 8 miles, so we said farewell to them around mile 6. MJ finished up at mile 8, and then Carla and Craig and I picked up an additional two. Carla wanted to try dropping the walks at that point so we did the last two miles that way. It was a nice way to wind down the non-marathon-season.

The Cap Crescent 9.5-Miler?

0, 09mi

Start time: 4/22/07, 8:30am
Location: Capital Crescent Trail
Distance: 9.5 miles
Average pace: 9:16min/mile

A couple of weeks ago, I had still been thinking about running the GW Parkway 10-miler today. As it got closer, though, I realized that my running would probably be really cut back on in April and that I wouldn’t be able to get much in for the two weeks leading up to the race. So instead, Del and I made plans to just go running on our own that day. And what a gorgeous day it was to run; breezy and sunny, with the sun shining off of the Potomac but the trees of the Cap Crescent Trail giving us shade when we needed it.

The plan was to run 10 miles, but my legs were feeling a little tight starting around mile 9, and when we hit 9.5 miles Del decided he was done as well because his hamstrings were tightening up. So instead we walked the last half mile back to my car, then on the way back to Del’s place to drop him off he ran into Health Bar and grabbed us both strawberry-banana protein smoothies, which were pretty good. So, not quite what was planned but still a good run. I am, however, quite relieved that I didn’t sign up for the race!

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

0, 02mi, 04mi, gym

Start time: 4/21/07, 2:00pm
Location: Arlington
Distance: 2 miles & 2 miles
Average pace: 8:40min/mile & 9:06min/mile

The idea was a pretty simple one; run to the gym, use the weight machines, run back home. I’d mapped out a route that would be exactly 2 miles each way (I had to add on an extra quarter mile spur to do so but what can I say, there’s something slightly more comforting about whole numbers when tracking progress) and headed on out. Two things I didn’t count on, though:

1) It’s been so long since we had a real warm day that I should’ve brought my water bottle with me. Oof, I must have hit the water fountain ten times at the gym itself.

2) It’s more uphill on the way back than on the way there, which wouldn’t have been that big a deal except I had, of course, just worked out at the gym. Heh. Definitely felt those hills on the way home.

Still, very happy with my progress, especially since on the way back I was really trying to take it easy. A nice run! After not getting much running in for April (a combination of visitors, work, and just wanting a bit of a breather before marathon season returned) it was a good way to get back into the swing of things.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=880854

Up and Down and Up and Down

0, 04mi, new shoes, pacers arlington

Start time: 4/10/07, 7:00pm
Location: Clarendon and the Custis Trail
Distance: 4.25 miles
Average pace: 8:59min/mile

I was really excited a month ago (the last time I was able to make it to the Tuesday Pacers run) to get a 38:48 finish time for this hilly, hilly, hilly course. Tonight? 38:07. That was a very nice surprise. (I should let Chris know we’re doing so well!) Oh, and new shoes starting today. More Brooks Beast, this time the ’07 model. The metallic bright blue better fade soon, it hurts my eyes to look at them.

Tidal

0, 05mi

Start time: 3/20/07, 7:00pm
Location: National Mall and Tidal Basin
Distance: 5.4 miles
Average pace: 8:42min/mile

I met Del down by the Foggy Bottom station and we went for a run together; first down to the Mall and down Constitution Avenue, then we crossed over first to Independence Avenue and around the Tidal Basin before heading by the World War II Memorial and then back up Constitution and to H Street where we called it a night. Good pace, good company.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=788452