Guest runners this week

Monday 1/10 (6.25mi, 49min, 7:53/mi) I felt pretty good after the race on Saturday and taking Sunday off so I ran hill repeats at lunch. I ran down the steep 51st ave hill, back up it, then down the bike path that borders Hwy 520 and back up it 1.5 times. The 51st ave hill was about 0.8mi and the 520 path was 1.2mi. It worked out to about 2.6mi of uphill running at probably 9:00/mi pace going up. I would have liked to do another full run up the 520 hill but I just didn't have the time at lunch.

Tuesday 1/11 (3.0mi, 23min, 7:41/mi) I was planning on cross-training at the gym and didn't have enough cold-weather clothes to run outside anyway so I used the treadmill. I started out slow at maybe an 8:30/mi pace and kept steadily increasing the pace every quarter mile until I was running the last quarter at 5:40/mi pace. Boy I detest the treadmill.


Thursday 1/13 (6.0mi, 1h 8m, 11:20/mi) I had family in town for half the week so I took the opportunity to go for a run with my sister, a rare treat. She's training for a half marathon and had a 6 mile run on the schedule. We got out a little bit before dark with me pushing the boy in the BOB (a gift from my sister years ago). We kept a conversational pace for the most part and the boy even fell asleep for a quick nap as I showed her where I do my weekend running around the neighborhood. As we were coming up to my street which is a mild uphill, she called out "Race you home" and took off. I pushed the pace the best I could but just couldn't catch her by the time we got to the mailbox. She rightfully claimed a win and added insult to injury by handing 2nd place to my son as his stroller technically was in front of me at the finish. That meant I was 3rd out of 3 finishers - ouch. Also, she reads this blog and knew not to apologize for "slowing me down" during our run. She's a smart one.

Saturday 1/15 (8.4mi, 1h 22m, 9:45/mi) My brother-in-law wanted to get out for a run so who was I to argue. We started out running the same out-and-back route that I ran with my sister on Thursday but he said that he could go further, so we did. I turned it into a loop and hit another couple of hills as we went around past Kopachuck State Park and back to the Arletta store running roughly a figure-8. It may have been a little hillier and longer than he wanted to run but he ran pretty strong the whole time. It was great to have new people to run with and family no less! In talking to him I found out that he runs at the Umstead trails near their house in North Carolina. I look forward to running those trails with him next time I'm out there visiting.


Sunday 1/16 (4.4mi, 35min, 7:58/mi) I had a wedding to go to in the afternoon and a small window to run opened up for me if I took the boy with me, so I loaded up the BOB and ran the One Store Loop as fast as I could. I managed 35:05 which is pretty good pushing the stroller considering how slow the Tunnel Trail is with the BOB. I have to lift it over the mud/log puddle as well as a few fallen trees that I need to get in there and clear out some time soon.