Category Archives: 05mi

Back to the Custis

05mi, custis

Start time: 11/9/10, 6:20pm
Location: Custis Trail
Distance: 5 miles
Average pace: 9:01min/mile
Total Miles For November: 8 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 570 miles

That’s right! It’s the dreaded Custis Trail!

I was going to try and run before work but I woke up feeling groggy and disoriented—the worst possible way to feel when hoping to run. So I postponed until after work, but now that it’s darker out I needed to find a fully-lit trail, and that meant… yep, Custis, aka the Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Heavy Breathing.

Those hills always kick my ass (and I know I average about 30 seconds per mile slower on the Custis in general) but I must say that despite feeling beaten down in spots, I left it feeling exhilarated and happy that I ran it. I might have to try and do this again soon. Time to add those hills back in, right?

(8:57, 9:06, 8:49, 9:12, 8:57)

Computer reborn

05mi, new shoes

Start time: 10/26/10, 8:15am
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 5 miles
Average pace: 8:59min/mile
Total Miles For October: 37 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 554 miles

Eh, I’ve had better. My own fault, really, after not getting in enough runs during the week as of late. Really pooped out in the middle but tried to rally towards the end.

On the bright side, the new computer is now up and running so I just backdated two other entries as well. Yay for functioning technology…

(8:41, 8:40, 9:10, 9:44, 8:42)

Chaos

05mi

Start time: 10/23/10, 8:00am
Location: Washington DC
Distance: 5.4 miles
Average pace: 9:59min/mile
Total Miles For October: 32 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 549 miles

This was supposed to have started half an hour earlier, but between road closures and then the Mall being closed, even if we could have gotten to our meeting point we couldn’t have parked. Finally regrouped in Southwest DC and did a very short run; Ben had a work event he needed to go to so we couldn’t stay out too long and had to turn back early. Haven’t seen Stephanie or Rich in AGES, though, so it was great to see them. Really windy day, at that.

(9:12, 10:17, 10:19, 10:17, 9:40, 4:08)

The Forgotten Run

05mi

Start time: 10/8/10, 7:15am
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 5 miles
Average pace: 8:37min/mile
Total Miles For October: 13 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 530 miles

Oops! Forgot to add this run in, probably because last week was a pretty slack week thanks to a lot of rain. I did get some gym workouts in, but the running never quite worked out. Squeezed in this one run before heading out of town for the weekend.

(8:43, 8:39, 8:35, 8:52, 8:14)

Hack

05mi

Start time: 9/28/10, 6:30pm
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 5 miles
Average pace: 8:40min/mile
Total Miles For September: 52 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 517 miles

I was going to run this morning, but after all the rain predictions I figured it might just be easier to get a little more sleep and hit it after work. Of course, that means a good 10 degrees warmer run, but that beats getting poured on, right? (Except then it didn’t rain this morning. Argh.)

Anyway, good first three miles, but partway through the fourth mile I got a swallow of water down my windpipe and there was quite a bit of coughing and hacking that I never got quite over. Ah well.

(8:28, 8:18, 8:21, 9:11, 8:57)

Better

05mi

Start time: 9/21/10, 7:20am
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 12 miles
Average pace: 8:31min/mile
Total Miles For September: 31 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 496 miles

Improvement. Let’s see if I can maintain.

(8:31, 8:27, 8:21, 8:40, 8:35)

5-miler

05mi

Start time: 9/16/10, 7:30am
Location: Washington DC
Distance: 5 miles
Average pace: 8:47min/mile
Total Miles For September: 26 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 491 miles

Ended up missing Tuesday’s run due to remarkably little sleep, and then still dragging so badly that evening I couldn’t even think about making it up; I barely made it past dinner before going to bed. (And then Wednesday night was no spinning due to what turned out to be a spectacularly bad bike maintenance class I’d signed up for. Good thing I made it to the gym on Monday after work.) Slightly disappointed because I’ve been trying to get two weekday runs regularly, but sometimes circumstances just get in the way. Anyway, today’s run was so-so. Nothing out of the ordinary, for better or for worse.

(8:59, 8:38, 8:42, 9:08, 8:28)

Slightly cooler

05mi

Start time: 9/9/10, 7:20am
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 5 miles
Average pace: 8:48min/mile
Total Miles For September: 15 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 480 miles

Temperatures are starting to drop in the DC area, which is nice after this baking hot summer we’ve had. After knowing I’ve needed to do so, I’m starting to really focus on dropping some weight and hopefully that’ll help get me back to where I should be. Even five pounds makes a big difference after all. If I can get rid of them I’ll be happy.

(8:49, 8:43, 8:43, 9:27, 8:17)

Back Home

05mi

Start time: 9/7/10, 7:45am
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 5 miles
Average pace: 8:52min/mile
Total Miles For September: 10 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 475 miles

Was not feeling it, perhaps from the long drive home from Tennessee yesterday. Started running out of steam around mile 4, bleah. Am also resolving to lose some weight. This has gone on for too long.

Getting ready for another weekend away

05mi

Start time: 9/3/10, 7:30am
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 5 miles
Average pace: 8:47min/mile
Total Miles For September: 5 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 470 miles

Slept amazingly badly on Wednesday night, so I skipped my Thursday run and pushed it onto today. Ah, thick humidity, how I love you. (Not.) Will be out of town and not doing my group run on Saturday, but I might try and squeeze in a Sunday run; we shall see!