Friday, April 07, 2006

Countdown is on!

Last tempo run, check! Last long (shorter) run, check! Pass up that extra helping of cookies and ice cream, check! It's a good thing I'm so busy at work or I'd be going stir crazy already. The travel and meetings next week will keep me occupied and out of trouble as well.

So, today was a nine miler with 3x1 mile at an unspecified pace but was assumed to be "as hard as you can manage without hurting something", especially this late in the game. Stupid work was as overwhelming as usual but I still managed to get out the door at noon with impending deadlines still hanging like an excecutioner over me. Started out slowly with extra stretching before the run and after the 1st 1/2 mile at the top of the Station hill. Then did an easy warmup on the golf course but was surprised to see the flags are now up and golfers were out in force. I'm not sure what they thought of this skinny runner in shorts and a reflective vest dashing across 'their' fairways but I got a few friendly waves before heading off on the highway.

There are no mile markers for my intervals but my guestimated miles were in the range of 6:35 to 7:00. I felt reasonably good for a change today and the run seemed to be over in no time with the extra fast bits inserted, but my watch begged to differ (only 2 minutes faster than Weds on the same route). Just a couple of easy runs left in the schedule and the plan is to run in the Moosehorn Wildlife Refuge Park on Sunday with Andrew. I think he's cooled down a little after what I put him through last weekend and won't lead me down a trail and leave me for lost.

On another note, my article is now out in the local paper and the non-runner reporter did a reasonable job for the most part using my quotes more or less verbatim. Her main mess-up was that I had placed 1400 out of 4000 runners in the 2005 Boston race (that was in my age group, not overall!) The picture is good ;-) There will be a post race followup interview where I'll try to get some of the other details right. Should I wear 'the shorts'?

2 comments:

Olga said...

GO for the shorts, definitely! The country-men will scream and pronounce you their hero!
Rest, don't fidget, you'll do fantastic!

Unknown said...

Of course you should wear the shorts. You must represent your country with pride.