Start time: 1/27/07, 8:00am
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 4 miles & 4 miles
Run:Walk ratio: 5:1 & 1 minute per mile
Average pace: 10:35min/mile & 8:45min/mile

It’s been a while since I’ve been out there running; a combination of being stuck at work the last couple of times my Tues/Thurs night running group has been out, and just feeling tired and not up for it last Saturday. So, reluctantly, I hauled myself out of bed today. I knew the lack of running would make things hard; I’d at least hit the cycling class each Wednesday but that was it. I headed out with Carla, Randy, Chanty, and two of their pace group friends from 2006. It was a nice four miles out, and Carla and I spent most of it chatting. (I was also amused that Carla and Randy last week were apparently plotting for me to coach them this spring. Ha! I can already hear the snorts of derision from the peanut gallery.)

Once we hit the turn-around point, the rest of them decided to use the bathrooms at Barcroft and I headed back. The original plan was just to run straight through on the way home, but after about half a mile I realized it probably wouldn’t happen; that whole “not running in a while” thing catching up with me. Once I hit that first mile a little too fast (8:11, oops) I knew it would end not so well if I didn’t slow myself down. So from that point on I took a one minute walk break at each mile marker, and that worked well, still averaging an 8:45 for the return trip. It sure did feel nice to get back out there, though. Hopefully this upcoming week I can continue to do so!

Start time: 1/6/07, 8:00am
Location: Downtown Washington DC
Distance: 7 miles & 6.4 miles
Run:Walk ratio: 5:1 & 7:1
Average pace: 11:33min/mile & 9:37min/mile

Today I decided to run with mai_neh in his final training run for the Miami Half Marathon, a 14-miler. The first half of our run was with his two pace group members, who were training the full marathon so they were at a slower training pace. They were supposed to be running an 11:30min/mile, so we hit that really well. On the way back, with about mile and a quarter left to go I was starting to feel beat and I could tell that mai_neh was raring to go. Since I’m not training for a race and he was, when we hit 4th Street I told him to keep going, and hooked a right-hand turn to go directly back to home base. It lopped off just six-tenths of a mile, but it was nice to get back a little quicker and to be done. Since he finished up his last two miles at an 8:30min/mile average, I’d say I made the right decision to cut him free of my anchorness! 🙂 We saw Chris S. on the trail heading out as we were zooming back, which was fun, and it was nice to see all the other staff members as well. Good times, good times.