Three, or four, or six mile run.

Last night we went to the Welcome Home celebration for all the Soldiers that had been deployed overseas. They had country music entertainers and prize give-a-ways and plenty of free energy drinks. It had been a hot afternoon, so the family and I didn't go until about 6:45. Unfortunately, by about 8:00, the skies opened up and we had thunderstorms, which shut most of everything down. We sheltered inside Bldg 4 (the post head-quarters building) for a while, then when it wasn't so bad out, we walked around but the police were shutting everything down, so we left ... and got some pizza on the way home for a night with a family DVD (Lassie - the original).

Now I didn't need pizza on my food plan, but that's the kind of sacrifice we sometimes have to make to keep the family happy. With our girls, the pizza and some bread sticks seemed to work out just right, and I avoided over eating.

This morning I knew I had to get some good training in. I felt like anything less than three miles would be a waist, but I didn't have a solid plan for my run. I think I talked myself into more running as I was leaving the house, driving to the track that I was going to run on and while I was actually running. Again, I like to listen to my body and run the way it is telling me too.

Sledgehammer sign and tank at the back entrance to Kelley Hill, by Artillery Field (Thomas Field)

I didn't want to do just a 3 mile easy run, as I can do that with the guys I work with, as anything over the 2 mile run is considered extra mileage for some Soldiers. I told myself that if I felt good after the warm up, It speed it up and go for 4 miles.

After the slow first two laps on the 1/2 mile course, I started to pick it up and see where my "easy" 2 miles run time was going to be. I wasn't feeling bad and I felt like my pace should go up. I ran the first two miles in 15:26, which is way below my actual run time, but a good time for not really trying hard. My first mile had been a 7:55 and the second, a 7:31.


I slowed down just a bit, as by now I had talked myself into doing a 4 mile run for sure, and I didn't want to burn out to early. I clocked that mile in at 7:50. Next, I worked a bit on my form, back and shoulders as I cruised the next two laps for mile 4. As I got near my mark for 4 miles, I thought that I was doing well, and when I saw I'd completed it in 7:44 for a 31 minute total time, I kept going thinking that I could get a decent 5 mile time out of this.


I felt fresh and ran the 5 miles right on the edge of the track, next to the overgrown grass, feeling the long weeds rush against my legs as I pulled into the corners. Near the last 1/4 mile I gave it a good push and at 7:19 for the two laps, a total time of 38:19, I had beat 40 minutes on the 5 miler again, and felt great. I told myself, "that is what a tempo run should feel like."


I jogged around the track track for my last 2 laps so I could get a final cool down mile, which wasn't too bad at 8:56, which is within my allotted time for a recovery period. When I calculated it all up it seems that the average pace on the 4 miles of tempo run was only 2 seconds off of the pace I would have needed. With out "watching the watch" I had pulled off a great run, and still fell fresh for tomorrows long run.


Injury report: While cleaning up the living room I ran my left foot into the runner of a rocking chair and have possibly injured the tendons across the top of the foot. Ice and elevation have been used, and I hope it's just a pain that will go away over the day. Two years ago I had to leave Drill Sergeant school because of broken bones in my feet from freak incidents. Though I'm quick to recover, it would put a damper on my accelerated training plan.


I did over 29 miles last week, so I'm hoping that I can get into the thirty's with tomorrow's run, barring any pain.