rob field

My legs have been sore from too much mileage, so I ended up spending a lot of last week not running at all. I got in a quality run on Wednesday and did my long run today. I got up a little later than normal, stopped for coffee, and drove to Roswell to run the 3.1 miles out and back trail there hoping it would be easier on my legs than running on asphalt. I intended to do a long run even though I was feeling a little tired and rundown. I was paying for my sins of the previous week: too much overtime, not enough sleep, poor diet, and no exercise.

My legs however, were feeling rested, and I had hopes of getting a good run in. I was a little disappointed when I started. Because I did not get going until 8:20 am, the trail was busy and crowded. I had forgotten the trail was an out and back trail, in my head I had been thinking it was a 3 mile loop trail which I would have much preferred. Many trees overhang the trail, so my GPS kept losing its signal. However, while I was grousing about the less than optimal conditions and thinking maybe it was a day for a shorter run, my legs got to the business of ticking off the miles.

I managed to take it nice and slow for the first part of the run. I thought I was taking it very slow, but in reviewing my run it turns out I was cranking out 8-9 minute miles for the first 15 miles. It was not until the final 10K that my pace dropped to about a 10-minute mile. I had to dig deep to finish those last few miles.

Passing the 20-mile mark seems like an important milestone in my training for the marathon. My legs felt like rubber after the run, but I did not have any serious soreness or injury. After getting home and soaking my legs in an icy bath, they felt better than they have all week.

ATC Cross-Country 5k Boling Park

It was a beautiful fog shrouded morning, although a little on the cool side. The course was three loops around a mile long course through Boling Park. The wining time was close to 15 minutes. My time was 23:38 at a 7:36/mi pace. I wish I had been faster, but then I always do. It is probably the fasted 3 miles I have ever run back to back.

It’s been awhile since I have run on anything but pavement and I found it a little disconcerting running on a combination of a grassy field, short sections of trail, and paved running path.

Atlanta Track Club volunteers did a great job of organizing and staffing the event.

Mom ran with me this week and came in second in her age category.

Next week is the ATC Run Around the Rock 5M/10M/15M at Stone Mountain. I have not decided which distance I will be running yet. Definitely at least the 10M, maybe even the 15M.

Peachtree City Classic 15K (25th Anniversary)

It was a cool clear morning, but unseasonably warm for October. Leaving from Roswell about 5:00, the drive down to Peachtree City only took about an hour and fifteen minutes, so we arrived at the race site just as everything was starting to get setup. We had plenty of time to get a great parking spot, find the restrooms, pickup race numbers, and scope everything out.

It was cold standing around waiting for the race’s 9:10 am start, but by race time, it had warmed up a little and the cooler temperatures were perfect for running. Poor planning on my part meant that I started close to the back of the pack, which with a thousand or so runners hurt my time.

I had not intended to push it, which shows you how poorly I know myself. As soon as the crowd started moving I went from, 'I am going to pace myself/worrying about finishing mode' to 'competitive mode'. At the first mile mark, my time was a little over nine minutes. That got under my skin and for the next few miles my pace was well under the 8:00/mi mark. I kept that pace to the 10K/6 mile mark. At about mile six, I started feeling the distance and I could feel my pace slipping just a bit. The last three miles were tough. I had to dig deep and focus not fall off the pace. I finished 32nd (of 88) in my age group (180th overall) with a time of 1:17:12 and an average pace of 8:17. The race winner’s time was 48:10.

The race was well organized and had a terrific level of volunteer support. After a few miles of blacktop, the course turned onto wide paved cart trails that wound through the woods. It was a beautiful course to run.

The only minor quibble I had was the foul tasting water at the finish. It tasted like an old garden hose, which was exactly what they were using to fill the cups. On the way home from the race we stopped at Rainbow for the perfect post-race organic vegetarian meal.

Mom ran the race with me and placed 3rd in her age group. (photo)

Website: PTC 15K

The Cartersville 10K was a great race. It was cool and overcast. The air was fresh from the overnight rains. Cotton fields provided a scenic backdrop for the race. As always for the first mile I thought I had made a dreadful mistake and was going to have to stop and walk back to the car in shame. Then we got to the first mile marker and I was pleasantly surprised to have them call out my time as 8:02. I started to feel a little stronger, but was even more surprised as I consistently turned out eight minute miles for the rest of the race. My goal has been to beat the 50:00 mark which will put me into the top time group for the Peachtree next year. I did not think that I had a chance of reaching that goal this race. At my last race my time was 55:10 and the fastest time I have managed in practice the last few weeks has been around 52:30. I was amazed when I crossed the finish line at 49:24!

Next up is the 2005 Peachtree City Classic 15K next weekend.