Short Long Run

Friday was a day for Christmas shopping and errands, and I just got lazy and didn't do the recovery 30-45 minute run. Oh, well.

Today (Saturday) was a beautiful crisp and clear morning for running. At 6:30 am, it was a smooth 40 degrees. My tribe consisted of Henry and Tracy and myself for the scheduled 13 miler. This was intended to be a long recovery run, encompassing the Longhorn Dam Loop (10.1 miles), plus an extra loop that featured some rolling hills up to Enfield, to Exposition, and finally back to the trail. We took it pretty easy, rolling along and chatting as we enjoyed the wonderful scenery and nice weather. The first 8 miles were mostly on the trail, and we averaged about 9:51/mile on that portion. The extra 3 mile loop to Exposition was covered at about 9:35/mile pace, as we slowly started to pick it up. Once we got back near the trail, I picked up my pace to push a little on the way in as Gilbert usually suggests. The last 2.5 miles were pushed in an average of 8:06/mile, enough that it was faster, but not so fast as to be a finishing sprint or anything like that. Overall, I clocked 13.24 miles at an average of 9:28/mile, which was about perfect for this particular workout.

The local PBS station is working on a piece about Gilbert and his training program as it relates to Town Lake and the trail (at least I think that's what it's about), and Henry and I were interviewed after our run for the piece. We'll see if any of our interview is in the finished story. It was fun to have to articulate exactly what it is that Gilbert does for us, and I finally decided that what he has done for me is more mental than physical. The workouts have certainly made me faster and stronger, but mostly I've gotten stronger mentally about my running as a result of being in the Gazelles. I look forward to most of the workouts, and the other Gazelles and Gilbert are a constant source of encouragement. And, I'm starting to believe that I can achieve my running goals, as long as I stay with a consistent training regimen.

Tomorrow, I get to tag along on my bike with a second group of Galloway people, so I'll get another casual bike workout to help get the legs ready for next week.