Despite aches and pains imploring me to stay in bed, I managed to get up and get out for a run about 7:30. Later than I wanted, but what the hell. Warm and humid today, though not too terrible. (What's with all this heat and humidity lately anyway? It's so humid, my air conditioner can't handle it and my hair doesn't dry out after a shower before sweat starts to soak it again.)
What WAS terrible were my legs. They were ultra-tight this morning and just would not get in the game. I knew in the first two blocks that this was going to be a struggle - even pondered not doing this run, but figured how many days do I actually have the free time to do this and I have to make hay while the sun shines and all that crap. And my lungs, for once, were giving me no problems - they seemed to rather be enjoying the distress my legs were in.
After about half a mile warming up, I turned on the Nike thing to measure out six miles - this on a route that I know is 6.7 total. My goal was a tempo run of a 9:20 pace.
HAH! I fell FAR short of that, managing, according to the Nike.com thing where my data gets uploaded, 10:15 miles on average, though the first mile was slower than 11:00. The rest were better, with my best mile (five) coming in at under a 9:40 pace. Nice, but still not the goal. And I was really working out there! I paused the workout only to stretch extensively when I got to the park and later to get a drink at a water fountain, that was it. No walking, yet still my pace was slow today. Has to be the legs; traitorous bastards.
Well, looks like tomorrow is another six-mile long run, according to the schedule, and I'm making a 5K a part of it. At least, that's the plan.
Poking around on the NYRR trainer site, I found a link to this post, by someone who is apparently an "angry" runner. He details out his music preferences for running and why. Some odd choices in there.
I also came across the Seal Boot Camp site. Yikes. Tough stuff; but I am intrigued. Could I survive 10 days of 90 minute seal-style workouts (i.e. running in the sand and stuff)? Would it make me tough enough to handle Brooklyn traffic?
Speaking of which, I was an "angry" runner today at many turns. I remember yelling at three drivers and callling them assholes for running red lights and I pounded on one car. If I hadn't been carefully watching the crosswalk signs, the lights, and - of course - the traffic itself, I would've been plowed by these idiots. Where in the driver's manual does it say you're allowed to draft a large van through an intersection who is ALSO running the red? Where in the rules of the road does it give commuters coming off the Prospect Parkway the right to run stopsigns and endanger pedestrians? I swear, one of these days, I'm going to start carrying a baton, one of those aluminum extendable ones - you know, the ones illegal to own unless you're a badge-carrying type. THEN...I'm going to start doing some damage: double-parkers get their windows cracked, red-light runners get a dented hood or trunk or smashed taillight. I mean, hell, there's gotta be SOME repercussions and the police sure as hell aren't doing the job!
It's not all anger, though... I did have one glorious moment in the park where I'm sure I hit a 9:20 pace, maybe faster, and the right song was in the earphones and it was all just great. I found myself running towards the big hill with the biggest grin on my face and I'm sure people coming the other way must've thought I was a special olympics candidate or something. The moment passed, as they always do, but I'm sure I'll be able to recapture that feeling again soon.
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