Since work closed at Noon today, I was all set to do my final "longrun/second to last workout." Yea, since I didn't get in my long run last weekend, I decided to not make up the 17 I missed, but to go for 15 and implement a faster pace during the middle of the run. I sort of came up with the idea** on my run the night before, where I would run easy for 6 miles, and the focus on hitting consistant 7.00 minute miles exactly for the next 8 miles, and then take on a easy cool down 1 mile to wrap up the run.
The weather was great, and I set off from the Sardis lot and ran the wooded trails around Charlotte Christian and Boyce Rd, before coming out onto Sardis and running back to the lot. I had to make a couple large circles around the vacinity of the lot but when my watch split 46.20 I figured I was right around 6 miles, given my pace which was just under 8.00 min/mile. I popped another energy chew and took off down the greenway to Harris Blvd. The first mile(7th mi. of the run) I was a little slow, but the second mile(8th) I made up for it, and on the third mile( 9th) I finally came very close to hitting an exact 7 min mile. Once I hit the 4 mile mark (10th) near Harris Blvd, I split exactly 7 mins, and did so again and again on miles 5 and 6 of the hard phase (11th and 12th of the run). Sensing that I would likely run into some old face since it was a holiday afternoon, I came across Willy Rittase from East Meck/UNC at the entrance to the park. We recognized each other, and while I paused to say hey, he ended up jumping in and head with me towards the Sardis lot. Since we were talking, I ended up going 7:12 and fell off pace, but then I told him I wanted to make up for it and he agreed to go with me. We reached the parking lot in 649 for the last mile, and that allowed me to finish exactly as planned.
The first couple miles of the Faster Phase, I was struggling to adapt to the pace with ease, but once I hit a few of them around 7 mins it felt as if I was just rolling and could keep going like that for a while. The pace sunk in, and I was hitting my splits to the tee. It was a nice feeling afterward, and I chatted and cooled down with Willy for a little over 10 mins and while jogging to complete the run.
Miles: 15.3
first 6: 753 pace
next 8: 706, 651, 659, 700, 700, 700, 712, 648
cool down: 10.30
**The idea behind this was to get the legs tired, and THEN work on feeling the pace I hope to be running in the Marathon.
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