It had been my fervent wish to finish this second loop of the Conservation Park 9.5-mile course with three consecutive sub-nine-minute miles. I'd managed to get the first one just under nine minutes, but with the strong headwind, it's not happening for this second-last mile. Why nine minutes, you ask? Because to achieve my marathon goal, I need to run the miles at about that pace. Even though this is the end of a long run, it should not be so difficult. Alas, it is; this mile slips to slower than nine. Hey, maybe I can sort of make it up by running a fast final mile. Yeah, that's the ticket. Even though the wind is still strong, I do get under nine again. My average for the final three is less than nine, but I still need to do better.
If you were to ask why can't I run sub-nine-minute miles, the answer is simple: because I can't run sub-ten-minute miles. Even that is a chore. Oh well, maybe things will improve.
The watch notified me that I'd run one mile in between the time that my foot caught the root or rock or whatever and me making contact with the ground. This, on the smoothest possible part of the Conservation Park trail system. It was dark, however, so that was a factor. Soldiering on, I encounter mud, more than expected. What to do? Change plans. Get thee to Gayle's Trails.
Now headed East on the trails, I come face to face with the end of the line. I'd been searching and hoping for a way to continue eastward, even though I knew the answer - that I'd reach the point beyond which, there be dragons. There be dragons is an ancient way of denoting in maps a place where there is danger, or an unknown place, a place to be explored. And that's what happens 4.7 miles away from Conservation Park. So yes, this was the errand, and I was the fool. On the way back, I do some dipsy-doodling around Frank Brown Park as well as a final two miles in Conservation Park.
The result was this: a long run, but not as stellar as the previous two. Guess I'll have to accept it.
Please Mr. Custer
That famous day in history the men of the 7th Cavalry went riding on
And from the rear a voice was heard
A brave young man with a trembling word rang loud and clear
What am I doin' here?
Please Mr. Custer, I don't wanna go
Hey, Mr. Custer, please don't make me go
I had a dream last night about the comin' fight
Somebody yelled "attack!"
And there I stood with a arrow in my back
The song goes on from there. It's pretty much what I sing to myself each and every one of these cold mornings. So far, I've only not made it out once. But that may change soon; colder than ever weather is on its way, along with some freezing rain, ice, and snow.
How it's boding
Since you asked how things have been boding, I'll try to provide some sort of answer. Things are boding fairly well, thank you. It's twelve days before the Tallahassee Marathon, and that means it's time for my fourth and final long training run. I was gonna wait another day or two, but today's cold will be less awful than tomorrow's. Two of the other runs were decent, but the one I did last week was not quite so fantabulous. I'll settle for decent today.
The pretty-good boding began a few days ago when I attempted yet another Yasso workout. Although I still didn't reach my goal of running all ten 800s in under four minutes, I did manage to at least average four minutes for the bunch as I finished strong.
The trails in Conservation Park are in decent shape today. I had been thinking that the muddy areas would be frozen solid. They aren't, but footing is okay nonetheless. And did I mention the cold? It was right around freezing with a stiff wind. Some things are good when they're stiff; wind isn't one of them. Also, ahead of today's coming precipitation, there's a flake here and there.
I run the first 9.5-mile loop in 1:42, and the second one in 1:25 and change. It comes out to exactly 9 minutes per mile. It's not a course PR, but it does compare favorably with most of my other runs here. Now, it's time for a nap.
Extra Crunchy
It's only been one day since that last long run and so I hadn't planned to get a whole lot of miles in. I am only able to make it a mile. That's it. You see, there's ice and snow everywhere. The snow on the beach is extremely crunchy, making footing difficult. After some back and forth, I go out to the road, where the footing is even worse due to the solid ice. Almost no cars are about, but this running on ice is crazy. I head back inside. Where it's dry and warm.
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| That's snow, not sand |
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| Nice sunrise though |
Coulda been a contender
It's a dress rehearsal of sorts, at least in terms of the shoes. One week out from Tallahassee, it's a Yasso extravaganza at Frank Brown Park. It's also my first time in these new Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 supershoes that I'll be wearing next week. It's still cold but not quite as bad as it's been, as I wind around and around the park. Most of the 800s are around a big grassy area on a 3/4-mile loop. My times are nearly all around 3:50. Just what I wanted.
For my final interval, I choose to head North to Gayles Trails. This last one is fine, and it's time to shuffle back into the park. That's when I see a gaggle of runners as well as some course markings. Yup, there's a race here that I wasn't aware of - a low-key 5K, 10K, 15K, and Half-Marathon. I hang around to watch them get going and then ask the Race Director what the heck is going on. The group is called "US Road Running," and they put these races on once a month.
Had I known about this one, I would have done the Half here instead of the intervals. I briefly consider something shorter, like their 5K. But no. I am too exhausted to attempt any further running or racing at all. If I had been able to participate, I coulda been a contender. Here's the entire Terry Malloy (portrayed by Marlon Brando) quote from On the Waterfront: "You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it."
Later, I sign up for the February Flavor of this half-marathon, called the PCB Luau races.
Form Fartlek
Form fartlek is like fartlek but with some form thrown in. Structure might be a better word than form. But there is no better word than fartlek. The idea is that you run half of each mile at an up-tempo pace (not all-out), whilst also concentrating on your running form. The other half of each mile can be easy. Regular fartlek is less structured - you just run fast when you feel like it (which is like almost never for me). I used to do a lot of form fartlek, but for some reason, I stopped. Today, more or less on a whim (I did want to do something of substance), it becomes form fartlek day.
During the ten-mile run out and back on Thomas Drive, I start doing the first half of each mile in a bit slower than four minutes, and the second half slower and easier. As mentioned, I also try to concentrate on my form during the faster running. It goes pretty good; generally getting faster as the run progresses. I even manage to run the final two half-mile segments in under four minutes. I'm reasonably happy with the result.
I'm not quite so reasonably happy to hear about the weather for this Sunday's race: low of 47, high of 74. It will probably be mostly in the 60s during the race. This, after I've been running in the 20s and 30s all month long. I'll muddle through, somehow.
The 2025 Tallahassee Marathon
I did it. The race report is posted separately. But in case you are lazy and don't wanna go there, here's a pic.
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| Tallahassee Marathon |
Recovery Run
I suppose you can call this a "run." I have a friend who puts quotes around the word, "run," to imply that it wasn't much of one. Today's endeavor would qualify for those quotes. It's just a slow shuffle, but it's better than yesterday's "run." I manage to explore some new areas - a subdivision west of Richard Jackson Blvd. Not Breakfast Point; this one is South of the PCB Parkway. Circling around and through and back brings me up to six and a half miles. Not too bad for a post-marathon Tuesday.
By the way, I do have another race to prepare for: the US Road Running (Luau) race at Frank Brown Park, which I mentioned above. It's on the 22nd, two and a half weeks away. I'd better get in shape.
Getting Stronger Every Day
Yeah, just like the Chicago song. I'm back up to ten-milers mostly every day, and the pace, although still slow, is indeed improving. That doesn't stop a guy from passing and running by me like I'm standing still down the road. As he moves on, I notice that he doesn't appear to be moving all that fast; it looks like he's in slow-jog mode. I try to keep pace. But I can't. I just can't.
It will be at least another week or so before I'm truly back to where I was before the marathon. That's okay. I'll just have to swallow my pride a little more. Whilst trying not to choke on it.
Taking a zero
There was a tornado and severe thunderstorm warning the other day. So severe that our phones went crazy just as I was waking up to run. I thought about waiting it out and running at least a little bit an hour or two later, but the T-storms didn't abate till the afternoon. It was only my second zero of the year. I even ran a mile the day of the snow and ice. Zeros are fine, so long as your overall mileage doesn't suffer too much. Mine might if I have to take another one tomorrow since more storms are expected. Today's goal is 13. That will bring me up to 60 for the week; 70 if I can do that easy 10 tomorrow that will happen only if the weather gods cooperate.
Today's 13 is sort of like last weekend's 13: excruciatingly slow. I get over to Frank Brown Park, do a few loop-de-loops, then head home via Gayles Trails. Things got a teensy bit better as I went on, but overall, it wasn't one of my finer moments.
Ironically, I'll be running yet a third 13-milder again next weekend: the aforementioned US Road Running (Luau) Half-Marathon race at Frank Brown Park. I hope the third one's a charm.
They Paved Paradise
Let's say, for example, that you want to get your run in, even though there are severe thunderstorm warnings. Let's further speculate that the rain that had begun as a light sideways drizzle in the wind, is now coming down in sideways buckets. You don't want to venture too far from the Days Inn since you would then have more trouble getting back as the weather continues to get worse. What to do?
You head toward the Bay County Pier parking lot. It's about a quarter-mile long and it's only a half-mile away. Then you do loop-de-loops around it as well as one of the other huge parking lots nearby. Now the rain gets harder and harder. The water on the roads and parking lots is suddenly ankle-deep. The lightning and thunder are getting closer. A car pulls up next to you in the parking lot and the driver asks if you need help to get out of the extreme elements. You say that you're okay, but clearly, you're not. You head back and call it a run. 4.5 miles. Not 10, but not nothing.
The 2025 PCB Luau Half-Marathon
Like the TM a few weeks ago, I did it. The race report is posted separately. But in case you are lazy and don't wanna go there, here's a pic.
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| PCB Luau Half-Marathon |
The realm of possibility
Don't stop, I tell myself. Just keep going, and keep the pace under nine minutes per mile. If you want to average nine MPM and you run some of your early miles a bit slower than that, you had better run some of your latter miles faster. At least, I think so. Someone, please check my math.
I am doing just that, running just slightly faster and faster, although I'm not sure whether it will be enough. With a few miles to go, I determine that it's still within the realm of possibility that I can finish my run with a better than nine-minute average pace for this second loop. Then, at mile 8 ... I stop.
I am at Conservation Park for the final time of this trip. I'm doing my (faster) second of two 9.5-mile loops. I don't usually stop in the middle of a run unless there is a good reason to do so. Today's reason is certainly a good one: I'm tired. Dead tired.
Hey, maybe I can gather myself and finish the final 1.5 miles at about 8:30 pace - that would get me to my goal. Yes, it's still in the realm of possibility. All I have to do is do it.
Except that I don't. I had stopped because I was tired, and now, when I start running again, I'm still tired. I don't come anywhere close to the fast pace I need. It doesn't help that it has gotten warm and sunny. Or that I've gotten back to running often and sometimes intensely. Overall, I think it's been a pretty decent long run. Just not quite a top-tier one.
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| All of my PCB Conservation Park runs |
I've got about two more runs to go here before we go home. I probably won't bother to post anything about them. I'll just finish by saying that it's been a good two months of running, mostly around ten miles a day. Now, back to Ohio.
