22mile

50F and cloudy, perfect running weather. haven't ran much since the half marathon last Sunday. my legs took a hit from that race! Eric and I ran the same route as our 21 except we went out an extra mile. we paced ourselves very conservatively, maybe even a little too much. but given the distance, and the fact that we both ran well, I believe it was a wise decision. these distance are by no means easy, they are tough. and it hurts, but I just don't feel like my body will give in. we were prepared this time with an 'aid station'. somewhere around 12mi Eric stashed a goodie bag behind a rock at his office. perfect. water gatorade and stinger wafel's. the hill on the way back was tough. it took me a few miles to recover from it. along the way back, I was experimenting with a forefoot to mid foot strike. I really need a pair on minimalists to make more progress, because with the motion control's, the heel is so fat it always wants to hit the ground first. this running form utilizes your leg muscles more efficiently. I've discovered that my hamstrings, and glutes feel fresher toward the tail end of a long run when I change my gait. It can make a great difference on how I feel at mile 20 of a marathon, I believe. it did today. this was the last (really) long run before the race. time to hit the trails for the last few...

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Danbury Half Marathon

Rogers Park. sunny blue skies. windy! I showed up at the race at 9am, checked in, chilled in the V dub and waited for my brother Eric. he rode his bike 30 miles from his place to rogers park Danbury. He ran the race, unofficially, supporting my dad along the way as his pacer. I went solo on the hunt for a PR. the best pace is a suicide pace and today is a good day to die! ha! well... not the best strategy! but i had two goals for the day. what, no National Anthem? I thought this was America? oh well maybe next time. I was running 7:10/7:20 splits for the first 8 miles. DANBURY__garmin__HALF ahhhh! 7:30/7:40 splits are a comfortable race pace for me, and I can maintain that pace given the conditions are fair. the course was hillier than I anticipated, I felt fresh from the start, but it was quite windy, and there was always a headwind, or so it felt. I am not one to make excuses and must say i am pleased with my overall time of 1:41:44...1min44seconds off my goal. you know you went out to fast when runners are passing you on the final 2-3 miles! I also had an alternate goal of running a sub 1hour-8mile split. I succeeded with that. coming across @ 59min18sec! it's above my normal pace, and a challenge for me. so I suppose it's fair to say i was on pace to reach 'one of my goals'. a small accomplishment, also a big confidence booster for me. hopefully my legs aren't too toasted for my 22mile run next Sunday. good grief charlie brown! my gas tank was flashing a big red E toward the end, but still i sprinted the last .10mi. My dad finished in 2:09:xx, along with Eric, besting his hook mountain half by 4 minutes or so. Jess placed 2nd in her age group @1:50:xx. super awesome, she hit her goal. we hung out and bullshitted about our 13.1 mile journey. it amazes me of how much can go down over the course of a long distance run. everyone has a story after they have crossed the finish line. something significant will always happen, whether it be good, bad or ugly. and that's why running races are so much fun. everyone there who has crossed  that finish line has run the same distance you have. that's the allure of the race. after wards you can all share your stories with your comrades, your family, your friends. respect the distance. love the run.