No Threepeat, No Worries

 Another five day training week, another Sunday long run, first race of the season first medal #257 as the countdown towards #300 continues

Tue Feb 4th Easy 4 mile recovery run, after the 7 miler on Sunday I did plan to run again on Monday....however getting up from my desk after penning my blog on Monday lunchtime I could feel how heavy and sore my legs were, a 4 miler would've been hard work let alone another 7 miler so I opted for a rest day w/ a view to going long Sunday after Saturdays race

Knowing this was a recovery/easy run I wasn't overly concerned about time, speed, pace which was subsequently reflected in my time 39.11.3 off 9.48 mile pace w/ splits of:9.41-9.57-9.51-9.42 to be honest I was just happy to get a run in  and hopefully get the crap out of my legs for the rest of the week, not that long ago missing a Monday run and having sore legs on a Tuesday might have seen me blow the whole week off.......safe to say that corner has been turned....

Wed Feb 5th Slightly more effort and a reduction in overall time, speed and pace.....not  too difficult after the previous effort! 35.08.5 off 8.46 mile pace w/ splits of:7.32-9.07-9.38-8.48

W/ a race only  4 days away there was no need this week to " leave it all out there" on the Ben Franklin Parkway/Kelly Drive there will be ample time to push for fast times post Cupid's Chase 5k and the Love Run 1/2 marathon in seven week time

Thur Feb 6th Fairly similar time and pace to Wednesday 35.56.0 off 8.41 mile pace, splits:8.00-9.10-9.40-9.06

As for Saturdays race....I'm in the best shape I can be w/ so little training under my belt, I should have started sooner but when all's said and done the Cupid's Chase 5K is a building block towards the Love Run 1/2 marathon, w/ out Saturdays race I may not have started training on  Jan 27th, better late than never they say.......

Sat Feb 8th If the alarm is going off  at "Silly O Clock" it must be a race, that said hopefully next week and the subsequent  five weeks after it I'll be getting up early on a Saturday for my long runs

A tad" nippy around the gills" at 6.45am as I made my way up Haverford Avenue to 34th St and the Philadelphia Zoo a brisk 28 degrees which meant race attire was gloves, long sleeve shirt and running tights under my vest and shorts, this is the third year Cupid's Chase 5k at the Zoo has been my season opener which helps otherwise it's a long haul from the season finale Schuylkill River Loop in early December to the Love Run at the end of March

A decent turn out 400 plus runners for a race this early in the season, got a clear start and clocked 8.04 for the opening mile, I was figuring 24 mins plus at 8 min mile pace was a fair return for the small amount of training pre race, sadly a lack of signage, flags or race marshalls meant I and several other runners cut a section off of the opening mile and why my Garmin only recorded  2.99 for a 3.1 race

I'm well versed in the loop outside the perimeter off the Zoo as I've used it for an out and back 8 miler, I did pick off a couple of runners on the back straight b4 reentering the Zoo 8.12 for mile 2 and eventually finishing in 24.10.21, the third mile split obviously came up short due to the fuck up in the opening mile

33rd in a field of 408 and 3rd of 9 in the 60-69 age group, technically on the podium however like last year they only gave one medal to the winner of the 69-69 so no bonus medal this year....I had said in the build up to the race that if I somehow won the age group the extra medal would have a been a bonus, I have no qualms w/ not winning the age group w/ the meager amount of mileage under my belt in the run up to the race, as I said b4 and stand by Cupid's Chase 5k was a stepping stone towards the Love Run 1/2 marathon in seven weeks time, I'm still looking at #300 in early 2028 so one less medal today doesn't alter that, that said winning my age  group three years in a row at Cupid's Chase would've been nice but I didn't put the work in in December and early January so I have no axe to grind there

Sun Feb 9th Having gotten a 7 miler under my belt last Sunday the plans was to go 8 miles today, set off at 1.30pm conditions were grey and overcast but at 43 degrees mild enough

Took the road well travelled up Powelton Avenue to Mantua Ave, had considered swinging over to the Art Museum and Kelly Dr but at the junction of Spring Garden and Mantua kept going straight towards 34th St and eventually over Girard Ave bridge to Girard and Popular and turned there to head back

Hadn't given any though to overall time and pace when I set out when I clocked 9.07 at the opening mile I spitballed 1.12-1.15

9.15-9.27-9.45 for miles 2,3 and 4, 37.34 outbound, at the turn I was  cognizant that each mile was getting slower but I was more concerned about getting the miles in for now, fast times/splits will come in time

9.47 for mile 5, managed to reverse that  trend w/ a 9.41 split for mile 6 b4 my slowest split of 9.50 for mile 7 however last week over 7 miles I had 2 spits over 10.00 10.06-10.19 so this feels like progress

9.48 for the final mile  38.16 for the inbound for a 1.16.41 off  9.35 mile pace

Another semi long run that I was able to conduct w/out having to stop and or walk....progress in the coming weeks I hope my red light brakes will become less and shorter

Hopefully starting next weekend not only am I getting up early on a Saturday for my long run but I'm also back into double digit mileage, little by little Philadelphia Marathon is 42 weeks away, hopefully I can put the disappointment of Dublin behind me

In closing  my homage to my good friends The 2 Johnnies my dirt of the week, at the junction of 40th and Powelton I had to wait for the red light to change " homie" hits me up " yo my man, spare any change?"......cuz I'm out for a run last thing I carry is a pocketful of change...muchless my phone to Venmo you some spare change..... fuckin' gowl.......