So I had a weird run today. Funny weird, not strange weird.<br><br>
The day started at 5:30am with a 3.5 hr drive over to Salida for a two hour meeting and a 3.5 hour drive back. It was a rather intense meeting, and I was still processing it while getting dressed for my run and figuring out how to put together a route for my 8 mi tempo run.<br><br>
Let's see- once around the big loop through the park and twice around the small loop through the yapping poodle neighborhood. That should do it.<br><br>
You also have to understand this about me- I'm a geek. Next to VRAA, nothing motivates me like being able to download my run data from my Garmin305 and chart out HR, elevation, pace, and even view my route on Google Earth. I'm not, however, one to constantly check out what is going on during the run. I generally set HR alarms low and high for the amount of intensity I want to work out at, then turn the thing on and forget about it until I get home. No looking at lap stats for this kid. I once climbed a mountain with a guy who shouted out the elevation reading from his GPS every five minutes and drove me nuts. Too much information can be depressing.<br><br>
So like I said, I started the timer and headed out the door. One mile of easy warmup, then a stop for 10min of stretching, then 7mi tempo at 70-85% max HR. It was a bit blustery, and I was still a bit vegged out from driving all day, so no rhythm for the first mile, but after the stretch and the usual 5 minutes of suffering getting into tempo pace I felt pretty good. After going through the park I branched off for once around the small loop, and that went great, as well as the second time around the small loop (only one yapping poodle was outside). Then I was back at the park, headed across the street, through the open space and on to the road home for the final mile.<br><br>
I have all of my various routes measured to the nearest 0.1 mile, and so even though I don't look at my watch I know that when I reach the golf cart crossing about 1/4 mile from home my watch should start playing the little happy tune indicating that my workout is done and I can relax. I LIVE for the happy tune. <img alt="banana.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/banana.gif"><br><br>
So here comes the golf cart crossing and I'm waiting for the happy tune. I pass the golf cart crossing and still no happy tune. I'm almost home and still no happy tune. Finally I look down at my watch and it says that I STILL HAVE 1.4 MILES TO GO! ARRRRGGGHHH! <img alt="sad2.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad2.gif"><br><br>
How can it be? <img alt="confused.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/confused.gif"> The GPS must have screwed up. Then I realize... the short loop is 1.4 miles. I should have gone around it three times instead of two. ACK! At this point there was no loop that was 1.4 miles round trip from home, so I settled for the two miler and put my head down to grunt out the last. 1.4mi, and FINALLY the happy tune played. I was so happy. I then walked the last 0.6 home; good thing it was a nice evening. <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><br><br>
The interesting thing is that after reviewing my run when I got home my last mile was the fastest split. Not only that, but at 8:45min/mi it was my best average pace for a tempo run. Just shows what I can do when I'm determined to finish the job.<br><br>
Cheers!<br>
Mark
