Why was this so hard? That's me...sadly...on the ground
Lying nearly dead after running up Mt. Soledad (photo at the top)
Plan: 20 miles w/2 x 5 miles MP
Actual: 19.1 miles w 8.5 miles MP and Mt. Soledad run
Conditions: perfect, as usual, in San Diego..slightly cool and never too warm
Morning weight/sleep: 172/9.2 - 6 hours sleep
Stretching today: Trigger point am, after run, late afternoon
How it felt: Today was supposed to be, if not easy, straightforward. We run a couple miles (not shown) over to Mission bay, then run 5 miles at "Marathon Pace", then run a few more to the base of Mt. Soledad on the corner of La Jolla blvd and Nautilus, grab some fluid, and then run up to the cross at the top of the mountain...then down FAST to the finish. That part is shown above and the splits below.
This begs the question - "what is your marathon pace?". There's what I want it to be (6:50) and what I think it really is (7:05) - same as CIM. That is, I don't feel like I've improved since CIM last December, if anything, I feel like i'm slipping backwards. Today was no exception. Rather than continuing to come up with reasons why I'm stuck at 7:05 I'm at this point accepting it as my Boston pace. I'd be thrilled to finish Boston at 3:05 or thereabouts and that's my official goal now..no longer sub 3:00.
Today the start of MP was a bit messed up. We started at some store that, I assume, is paying something to the track club. It was on Santa Fe street in San Diego: an industrial road with very limited parking and poorly located for a run. Nevertheless, somebody decided that 100+ people in the track club should all drive over and park in the 25 spaces (or the other 80 or so cars parked illegally along the road) and one single bathroom so that we could finish there and buy their sunglasses. I hope they gave the club $1000 or more. Oh, and they had coffee, muffins, yogurt and bananas afterward. Whoopee.
We jogged over to Mission Bay and then a bunch of us stopped in the bathroom, and just - individually - began our MP when we emerged. That worked for me too, but, since everybody else was so far ahead I began too fast. Everybody began too fast. I ran the first mile in 6:26, and was barely catching the 3:30 marathon people..who were going WAY too fast. My watch is set for average speed and I'm thinking I may add back instantaneous speed and mile splits calculated automatically, after the race that is. The second "MP" mile was a 7:14 and I felt bad. It continued that way: 7:24, 7:40, 7:46 for the next four. Just like every race and fast run all year this year. Start fast, and after one mile, slowing down.
We all re-grouped near Crown Point where Ingraham heads into PB going north (our direction) and has some more fluid. Then things got better. Something about a 5 min break does wonders for me these days. I ran with the fast group (Lisa Ryan, Jim Goss, Andy Mills, Christine and Matt - who were both running fast today) at 7:25/mile for a couple miles, but that felt too fast, so I had to drop back to group 2 (Karen Wheaton, Rich, others) who were talking and running more like 8:00.
I went up the hill with Karen, who passed me about half way, and was at the back of the pack. I was really taking my time and never pushing. It felt weird. I was going very slowly, and my HR was not all that high (mid 140s), but I felt very tired. I nearly caught up to Jim Goss near the top who was also struggling up the hill. I noticed all of us 40+ people were near the back and the 30somethings were all sipping gatorade at the top.
After a long break up atop Mt. Soledad, we took off down the hill really fast, dropping under 6:00/mile a couple times and averaging 6:20/mile down the hill. It was me and Jim doing that. The fast uphill people did the smart thing. I guess Jim and I were both a bit frustrated. Well, I was anyway.
Tomorrow is the Carlsbad 5K. I"m debating actually running it as I registered.
Nutrition
Breakfast: (after the run): Naked Juice Protein, 2 pieces banana bread, apple, yogurt
Lunch: another naked juice and a nap
Last night's Dinner: Eggplant lasagna, cookies, m&ms, lots of water
