Table of Marathons

11 MCM (not for time) 11 Wineglass (950/1442)
10 MCM (not for time) 09 MCM (348/1076)
09 Washington's Birthday Marathon (22/44) 08 MC Historic Half (51/210)
07 Frederick Marathon (32/60) 06 MCM (394/1076)
05 MCM (547/1047)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

New Starts

I had gastroenteritis over the weekend and missed my long run. It has been a challenge to work up to that distance this month.

I began my run this morning in the darkness of the new moon of February. As I clicked off miles in anticipation of my 1200 meter repeats at mile 5, I realized Mars was hanging large, low, and red in the West. It was all the brighter due to the lack of the moon and Venus. I thought that it was somehow fitting to run intense repeats under the light of Mars.

By mile 5, Mars was waning in the gathering light of the dawn. The repeats went well, my pace was fast and easier than expected, despite the food losses of the weekend. As I finished my run, the sun was cresting the hills in the east, but not yet above the trees. Long fingers of light reached up into the dwindling mists of the pre-dawn morning.

It was a good run.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Mind

This is a "down" week for me. Only 3.7 miles in a light 50 F pre-dawn drizzle. On reduced mileage weeks, I get into that "its only 4-5 miles, so why do it at all" mentality. With the rain compounding it, I had an unusual struggle to get my behind out there.


The running is self-defining. Running in the rain is more so. I don't know why this has come to be. In the end, we have nothing but what we have produced in ourselves. Even that is transient.


But its done. Through in a mile above anaerobic threshold pace for good measure.