My Run

Yesterday's route was Xtie's standby, but this loop is all mine. I knew about W Fairmount Park--I remember taking Mom and Mollie on a bike ride to Manayunk and having lunch around Memorial Hall during their trip here four summers ago--but I never really ran there until the early 2007. (Kelly drive is fine, and I think I run faster sometimes with people to pass, but (a) it is dead flat and (b) there aren't very many variations you can do.) I ran variants of this loop last winter and I think it probably contribute to a break-through spring: BSR, where I broke every PR between 5k and 10mi, and the 5k in Alaska, which wasn't so impressive for the time (19m4Xs I think--they never posted the final results online) but where I actually got to race: the first mile went by in just under 7 and I found myself in the leading pack. Things spread out in the second mile and I caught a military-looking dude around mile 2 for third, then worked up to the very young high schooler (and hometown favorite--everyone was yelling "come on Gil! Don't let him beat you) just before the final hill, before easing up and letting him have 2nd place. (I had it in my legs to pass him, but not my heart.)

This week has been a tough one. Sunday's 18mi+, Tuesday's ride with S followed by a slog of an evening 8, and Thursday's 9+ hill run have left me unsure if I'll get out there and have legs that feel like running or ones that never stop whining. This morning they were up to run. I tried to hold back, but ended up just starting hard and fast all the way to the Montgomery Bridge. Then up the hill to Belmont, scooted across the Concourse (and by the Monument to PA's Civil War generals), back down Lansdowne to Sweetbriar, and back via MLK. Took it easy again for the last river trail portion trying to cool down a bit for tomorrow's long run. I think this is almost exactly 9 miles.