That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit

Statistics:
Distance: 5 miles
Time: 56:06

Course Map/Stats


Observations:

Did I say July was when I was going to wish for an easy 4-mile run in the cool air? Well, I underestimated that by a few months...what a difference 40 degrees makes! This was definitely more of a challenge than the Shamrock Shuffle. No fellow runners, no cheering crowds, no water stations, and lots hotter! Also, windy, but not in a good way. I experienced two conditions. Running against the wind, which feels like running uphill. Or Running with the wind, which feels like a cloud of dead hot air that hangs around you. Neither is exactly pleasant.

I had a lot more difficulty regulating my pace on this run. I had a decent idea in my mind where the mile markers were, and checking my GPS at mile 1 I was at a 9:45 pace. Not good! That was not a pace I'd be able to keep up, and I didn't want to burn out my legs after two miles. So I ran my second mile at what I felt was a slower pace and managed to get it to a 10:45 split, which is about on target for what I wanted. But the last three miles were all slower - 11:59, 11:27, and 12:11. I think that's attributable to a couple factors, namely the fast first mile and the heat.

I had to take two short walk breaks for about 100 feet - one around mile 3 and the other at about mile 4. I had purchased a bottle that straps to my waist with a belt, so I was able to carry fluids with me, and drank some Gatorade while I took the two walk breaks.

Honestly, the hardest part was the first mile and a half, as far as how my legs felt. I was concerned with how I was going to be able to finish at that point, but after I found the slower pace I was looking for in the first place, it wasn't too bad.

OK, I've got 8 weeks to go twice that distance. I'm trying not to think too much about that right now. I don't think it's productive. I'm trying to focus on the concept that my legs are getting stronger with every run and learning how to burn fuel more efficiently. Keep me thinking positive, people, I could use the help!


Street Shout-out:

Shout-out to the cute girl in the Shamrock Shuffle t-shirt (the same one I was wearing)


Track List:
Turn to Stone - Electrical Light Orchestra
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
Dead! - My Chemical Romance
Underground - Ben Folds Five
Whole Lotta Rosie - AC/DC
I Know - Save Ferris
Misirlou - Dick Dale
Groove is in the Heart - Deee-Lite
Sure-Bla-Di Shot-Bla-Da - The Beastles
Come Sail Away - Eric Cartman (South Park Cover)
First Push - Little Miss Sunshine Soundtrack
Yeah Yeah Yeah Song - The Flaming Lips
Fuel - Metallica
I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
Golden Years - David Bowie
Larger Than Life - Backstreet Boys
(warmdown)
Anyone Seen the Bridge - Dave Matthews Band
Come On Eileen - Save Ferris
Elevation - U2
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai



Next:
Saturday - 3 miles

First run done

Statistics:
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 43:52

I'm trying to figure out how to insert this cool widget into my blog that will show the map of where I ran and also give statistics, but I haven't gotten it figured out yet. It uses my Droid and its GPS to track me while I run. It computes speed, distance, and draws a map of where I'm running. I think you'll even be able to follow me live while I run if you really want to. It's actually pretty cool, so hopefully I'll have it figured out by my next run.

For now, click this link for my course map.

Some notes about the link: the GPS is a bit choppy, so it might think I'm going way faster at times than I am, balanced by times that I'm going much slower than I am. The average, though, should obviously be pretty accurate. Pretty freaking cool technology, though, huh?


Observations:

Tough.

Harder than the Shamrock Shuffle, even though it was 1 mile shorter. But there were good reasons for that. First, I hadn't run since Sunday, so it was a longer rest than optimal. Second, the wind! It was nuts today! I had a headwind on the longest leg of my course - the northwest leg - and also portions of the east leg. How that happens I don't know. Sucked, though! Also, it was cold. colder than Sunday. It's 30 degrees now, while Sunday was closer to 40. So I was wearing heavier clothes to keep warm, which made me a heavier person to drag around the course.

I imagine that in July when I'm sweating my ass off in the heat, I'll look back at an easy 4-mile day in the cold and wonder WTF I was complaining about.

The lower part of both of my calves are sore - the part below the big chunk of meat, just above the Achilles tendon. It's probably because that's what takes the initial impact of my running step, and it doesn't normally get that much of a strain in daily life. I'll keep stretching it, and hopefully in time it'll strengthen and not be as sore following a run.

But, I did it, and I kept it under my 11-minute per mile pace. I basically do two laps of a triangular wedge course through Lincoln Square. It's just under two miles per lap. I managed to force myself to make the turn onto the second lap and not stop at two miles, since that's the toughest part to not stop.


Next:
Saturday - 3 miles