Sometimes It Just Works Out

Mondays can be difficult for me. I could swim, but A likes to run or walk on Monday mornings, so I don't count on it. I could bike, but it's on the trainer and although I was doing well for a while there, I am back to avoidance. I could lift, lower body, since I did upper body yesterday, but that would make my legs tired (more avoidance.) I could just sit on the couch and call walking the dog my workout for today - I'll take that.

Then I reviewed my calendar for the week and Tuesday is jam packed (shocking for an unemployed guy, but true.) 7:30 I have the father/daughter mass and breakfast with E - running tomorrow morning is OUT. Then I have meetings in the morning and prep in the afternoon for meetings at night (Cub Scouts - helping set up the Pinewood Derby) and Twin Cities Marathon (first time on a committee should be fun.) Then I check the weather and it is supposed to be miserable tomorrow, so a run tomorrow should be avoided anyway. What to do? What to do? Sit on the couch some more. Take a 20 minute snooze (I am still catching up from the whole "spring forward" thing after all.) Wake up and it is still the cloudy day it was 20 minutes ago. It is above freezing and it isn't raining or snowing. I really should run. No, I bet I could fit it in tomorrow. Nope. Can't fit it in and wouldn't want to anyway. THAT'S IT! GET OFF THE FRICKING COUCH AND RUN! Alright already.

Tomorrow's scheduled run is a 10 miler at marathon pace. I am pacing a couple of women for a spring marathon to qualify for Boston so if I was running tomorrow, I would run that pace. Today I decided to try to run the pace for my goal time (Boston qualifying) since I was running alone. I thought it would be tough. Turns out it wasn't that tough.

It's about two miles to Lake Harriet from my house and a little under three around the lake. We have a little "extra-credit loop" that adds enough to make it over three miles. So the plan was to warm up with the two miles to the lake, run the lake twice plus two extra credits at my marathon pace and then easy home. Well, the "warm up" was quicker than expected, so I thought the two loops at marathon pace would be a stretch. I got into it right away and was clipping right along feeling good, if not a bit overdressed (typical for me - I like to feel like I am in Tahiti at all times.) I was watching my pace on my watch and it was a little faster than I wanted but I kept holding it and holding it and holding it. For the whole six plus miles. I was shocked. I walked a block and then started my warm down run home. This was also quicker than anticipated.

For some reason I dropped off a little at mile six, probably because of the hilly extra credit loop, but got back at it for the last two miles around the lake. (If I could get the Garmin Connect Player to work I could figure out were I dropped off.) Got it figured out - pace slowed after the second extra-credit loop. Here is the chart:

After all that waffling and excuse making and paralysis by analysis it worked out pretty well. I certainly am feeling stronger and faster than last year at this time. Like I said, sometimes it just works out.