All posts by Greg McElhatton

Trot for Hunger 2014 5K

03mi, 05k, race

Start time: 11/27/2014, 9:00am
Location: Pennsylvania Avenue, National Mall, Freedom Plaza
Distance: 5K (3.1 miles)
Finish time: 24:52
Average pace: 8:00 min/mile
Total Miles For November: 66 miles
Total Miles For 2014: 742 miles
Current Shoes: 18 miles

It’s been a long time since I’ve run a 5K — 2009 in fact — and I’ve always said that I’ve never really mastered this short distance. This was probably the closest I’ve come to that, in terms of consistency; the three full mile splits were 7:59, 8:04, and 7:54. Would’ve liked a bit more a kick on that last mile but beggars can’t be choosers. I ran it with my friend Steve and we did a good job of keeping each other moving. No PR, but it was only 25 seconds off of the PR from five years ago, and I consider that a huge victory. 5 seconds per year? Thumbs up.

Back into the swing of things

07mi

Start time: 11/25/2014, 5:38am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 7.25 miles
Average pace: 9:35 min/mile
Total Miles For November: 63 miles
Total Miles For 2014: 739 miles
Current Shoes: 15 miles

Trying to get back into the rhythm of three days of running each week. School and winter are both throwing me for a little bit of a loop, honestly.

Catching Up 3 of 3

06mi, 08mi, new shoes, treadmill

Start time: 11/18/2014, 4:50pm
Location: WSC Silver Spring
Distance: 6 miles
Average pace: 9:24 min/mile
Total Miles For November: 48 miles
Total Miles For 2014: 724 miles
Current Shoes: 281 miles

Start time: 11/22/2014, 7:06am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 8 miles
Average pace: 10:21 min/mile
Total Miles For November: 56 miles
Total Miles For 2014: 732 miles
Current Shoes: 8 miles

11/18: Bitter cold out and so I ran on a treadmill at WSC. Cut it a tiny bit short because I wasn’t feeling well… which turned out to be food poisoning preparing to kick into high gear. Oh boy!

11/22: Small group, just me and John and Jerry. No one was feeling particularly clever so just an out-and-back on a windy morning.

Catching Up 2 of 3

07mi, 10mi

Start time: 11/13/2014, 5:42am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 7.22 miles
Average pace: 10:08 min/mile
Total Miles For November: 32 miles
Total Miles For 2014: 708 miles
Current Shoes: 265 miles

Start time: 11/15/2014, 8:45am
Location: 7th Street, Shaw, Howard University, LeDroit Park, Barracks Row
Distance: 10.18 miles
Average pace: 10:27 min/mile
Total Miles For November: 42 miles
Total Miles For 2014: 718 miles
Current Shoes: 275 miles

11/13: Parking was STILL blocked, post-concert, but at least this time I was prepared.

11/15: Ran the second half of an 18-miler with Armand and Ben.

Catching Up 1 of 3

07mi, 10mi

Start time: 11/4/2014, 5:43am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 7.03 miles
Average pace: 9:58 min/mile
Total Miles For November: 15 miles
Total Miles For 2014: 691 miles
Current Shoes: 248 miles

Start time: 11/8/2014, 7:05am
Location: National Zoo, Rock Creek Park
Distance: 10 miles
Average pace: 10:19 min/mile
Total Miles For November: 25 miles
Total Miles For 2014: 701 miles
Current Shoes: 258 miles

11/4: Part of the Mall was already closed off for the follow week’s Veterans Day concert, so the run was a tiny bit shorter than normal due to the need to find new parking. Made an executive decision to avoid the Mall on Thursday and the following Tuesday.

11/8: Dragged a little at the end, but otherwise a nice jaunt through the Zoo.

Half a Loaf

08mi

Start time: 11/1/2014, 7:04am
Location: East Capitol Street, RFK, Anacostia River Walk, Navy Yard
Distance: 8.47 miles
Average pace: 10:33 min/mile
Total Miles For November: 8 miles
Total Miles For 2014: 684 miles
Current Shoes: 241 miles

The plan was to run 16 miles with my group (most of them are training for the Charleston Marathon), but my stomach just felt awful right from the start, and taking a gel at mile 4 actually made it worse. We were going to swing past the cars around the halfway point, both to refill water bottles and also for the other person who wasn’t training for the marathon to call it a day, and I ended up dropping out there. Half a long run is better than no long run at all, certainly. Still a little disappointing, though.

Bye Bye October

07mi

Start time: 10/30/2014, 5:39am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 7.16 miles
Average pace: 9:46 min/mile
Total Miles For October: 70 miles
Total Miles For 2014: 676 miles
Current Shoes: 233 miles

Almost time for new shoes. Also tried out a new long sleeve running shirt that shows sweat in about 45 seconds flat, as it turns out. Good for layering but definitely not on its own in the future.

Uneventful Tuesday

07mi

Start time: 10/28/2014, 5:39am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 7.25 miles
Average pace: 9:57 min/mile
Total Miles For October:63 miles
Total Miles For 2014: 669 miles
Current Shoes: 226 miles

Nothing of great portent, which is a good thing.

Back to the Belle

10mi

Start time: 10/25/2014, 7:13am
Location: Belle Haven Park, Wilson Bridge, National Harbor, Mt. Vernon Trail
Distance: 10 miles
Average pace: 10:04 min/mile
Total Miles For October: 56 miles
Total Miles For 2014: 662 miles
Current Shoes: 219 miles

Haven’t run over to National Harbor from Belle Haven in ages, so it was a nice change of scenery to head over there since all weekend long there were things happening on the Mall. Aside from discovering the coffee place we would go post-Belle Haven closed sometime in the past year, a wonderful time was had by all. Hurrah!

Piglet and the Very Blustery Day

07mi

Start time: 10/23/2014, 5:40am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 7.27 miles
Average pace: 9:42 min/mile
Total Miles For October: 46 miles
Total Miles For 2014: 652 miles
Current Shoes: 209 miles

Wow, this was one windy morning. After Saturday’s Foxhell run, I’ve decided I need some more hills in my running diet, even if they’re small. So today we hoofed it up and over Capitol Hill. Not a huge hill by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a good start (and a good addition to the weekday runs).