SF10 TR #8, To The Big Dam Bridge

SF10 Miles Trained To Date: 43.75

This week presents some scheduling obstacles. So, I have shifted and shuffled. You see, yesterday I was to do a 5-mile Tempo run. However, more importantly, it was my wedding anniversary! So I opted out of running in favor of celebrating last evening with my beloved spouse. See my flowers:


I actually received them today. You see, we met on April 3rd and married the following April 2nd. So we generally celebrate both days. Pretty cool!

Back to running: I intended to run yesterday before work - really burning the candle at both ends, you might say - but I am really struggling with getting up so early and running in the pitch black darkness. I know I did all marathon training runs in the AM, but it was always lightening up... not it would be the end of my run before it got lighter. So, after work is my new timeslot.

Today I decided to let the 5-mile tempo run go. You see, I am to run with Kim tomorrow, and I figured it would be best if we did my 4-mile easy run together. I have conflicts on Thursday... so I decided to do that day's 6-mile Tempo-Interval run today. Oh the life of a busy woman! I figured the T-I run would be more beneficial to me in the long run, so it won out over the tempo run.

I drove down to the flattest part of the marathon course to run, instead of heading to the local track. I discovered that I like non-track interval training. Since the run was to be accomplished in 1/2 mile chunks, each speedy part always presented me with "less than a half mile to go." Mentally, that is a good thing! Just a bit more and I could recover for a half mile or so. I really enjoyed it. It made 6 miles just fly by. I did an out-and-back. The halfway point was all the way up the new, inclined Big Dam Bridge (www.bigdambridge.com). Here's a photo of it:


I really trucked it up that bridge! I was in the middle of a sprint, sadly. But I did it!

I remembered after the first mile or so to switch my Garmin to measure splits in half mile increments. So here are my splits:

1) 1/2 mile "recovery" warm up
2) 1/2 mile sprint (Garmin was not yet properly set)
3) recovery: 5:51
4) sprint: 4:53 (perfect)
5) recovery: 6:04
6) sprint: 5:25 (too slow - trucking up that bridge)
7) recovery: 6:20 (surprisingly slow for coming down the bridge)
8) sprint: 5:20 (too slow - I guess I was pooped)
9) recovery: 6:45 (walking more and more)
10) sprint: 5:14 (too slow, but better - I was challenging myself to keep going)
11) recovery: 7:11 (like molasses - and the sky got very dark and broody)
12) final sprint: 5:18 (trying to beat the rain to my car - I did)
Total for 6 miles: 1:09:36
Average: 175 beats per minute

The thing is, that was pretty much a 10K. I would be stoked to earn that time at my upcoming Toad Suck 10K. So I know my training is doing its job. I am improving!