One Irish Rover-Van Morrison
Two thirds of the Spring Triple Crown in the books and another medal closer to three hundred.....tis all in a weeks work fer yer man here........
Monday March 30th In an ideal world off the back of my fastest half marathon in two years a well earnt day off would've been in order......however I had designs of getting my monthly mileage total into the 80s so come lunchtime I was back out there........but not for long!
My calves were screaming and by the time I made it two blocks across 16th St to JFK Blvd I knew I didn't have it......pride kept me from turning around and heading back as I made my way gingerly to the Ben Franklin Parkway at this point it was either a 2 or 3 mile shakeout run,by the time I reached the mile mark just below 24th and the Parkway I knew I was turning around and heading back, feck it I'll take the 2 miles and be happy out w/ them, as I often say I'd rather try and fail but know I tried than not try and second guess "could I have done it?"......
Tuesday March 31st Last Chance Saloon for 80 miles,I needed 6 miles but had the luxury of only working a half day so no time constraints on me making it back to work w/ an hour w/ that in mind off I went at 12.10pm out and back on Kelly Dr like I did last Thursday when I also only worked half a day
For the second time in six months I fell on the Parkway, at least this time I landed on the grass and the only thing hurt was my pride, why some bollox decided to start doing some Plyometrics on the sidewalk of the Parkway is beyond me, seemed an odd spot for it and maybe me taking my eye off of what I was doing caused me to fall, thankfully I bounced back up both literally and figuratively to record not only a faster time than I ran on Thursday 51.36.3 over 52.17.3 but also a negative split out in 26.42 back in 24.54
80 miles for the month,my best monthly tally this year eclipsing the 74 I ran in January and 73 I logged in February, had I not taken the opening week of March off chances are I could've had triple digits this month but no point crying over spilled Guinness Zero at least the numbers are trending in the right direction and hopefully I can return to "rarefied air" in April in the build up to Broad Street
Wednesday April 1st Opted for an untimed 5 miler out and back along W.River/MLK Dr hopefully next Wednesday will see me resume hostilities w/ the Tempo Run over on Sedgley/Popular/Lemon Hill drives and hills in prep for Broad Street but for today and the week that's in it just a matter of keeping the engine ticking over and jump starting the monthly mileage
It should be noted it was 79 degrees at 2 pm when I ran, after a Winter of being bundled up like "Nanook Of The North" and at times resembling the shaggin' Michelin Man it was nice to shed a few layers not to mention work up a decent sweat
Thursday April 2nd A 30 degree swing in temps......are ye feckin' kiddin' me???? 49 degrees as I went out and back along the Schuylkill River Trail.....sweet and merciful jaysus my Dublin 1/2 zip was in my back pack the night b4 as it would've been fair chilly running 3 of the 5 miles along the Schuylkill River w/out it
W/ a race on tap on Saturday there felt no need to go off cocked period but given this was my 5th run in 5 days on top of the fact that five day spree began w/ not only a half marathon but also my fastest half marathon in two years I was content to run 43.02.0 off 8.36 mile pace, as the saying goes the proverbial hay was in the barn........
Saturday April 4th I forget when I first began doing the Hot Chocolate 15k maybe 2018 or 2019 either way it has become fixture on my race schedule, given I have the choice of either the 5k, 10k or 15k now{ it wasn't always 3 distances I think they added 5k a few years ago} I tend to opt for the 15k as it serves as a primer for the Broad Street Run which is 10 miles, given Broad Street is usually 4 weeks after the Hot Chocolate run that feel like wise move.....given it's usually six days after the Love Run 1/2 marathon maybe not....... again as the saying goes " you pay your money and you make your choice"
For the first time since PDR on Sept 21st last year I was able to race sans base layer and given it was 59 degrees pre race at 8am and well into the 60s by the time I finished it was no wonder my bandana, vest and shorts were soaked by the time I crossed the finishline
There was a sense of "betwixed and between" heading into today yes I wanted to gauge where I am w/ Broad Street on the horizon but given the days of a bonus medal for a top three finish in the age group have gone out w/ the Rubix Cube there was also a feeling of " it's a free hit" as long as I crossed the finishline to collect my finishers medal anything else was just gravy......
In hindsight maybe going out in 7.23 for the opening mile was ill-advised I was ahead of the 7.30 mile pace group in the corral and when they passed me b4 mile 2 as I clocked a 7.50 split it was clear that the proverbial genie was out of the bottle now, like I said this race was bordering on "free hit" territory I doubt I'll be as cavalier in four weeks time at Broad Street
8.08 and 8.05 for miles three and four by now the field had separated from the 10k and 15k which given they start together may have something to do w/the pace for the opening 3 miles b4 the 10k leaders turn just after Strawberry Mansion bridge at this point I was kind of in "no mans land' nobody to work off of ahead but nobody behind me to force me to work any harder than I was
Thankfully after a few years of "clunky" turnarounds on Kelly Dr this year the 15k went over Falls Bridge and onto W.River Dr just beyond the Conrail bridge b4 the turnaround, I clocked 38.04......
8.26 for mile 5 and 8.38 for mile 6 if I was going to get a negative split I would have to arrest that slide however the age auld problem w/ this race was about to present it's self, until such a time as they stagger the start of the 10k and 15k there is always going to be the issue of running into the back markers of the 10k w/ three miles to go,the last thing I want or need is to weave in and out of runners let alone the walkers, the talking on my phone brigade, the lets walk four abreast on the course w/ zero regard for anyone else troop......don't get it twisted I respect and admire your commitment to the cause and your desire to not only start and finish a 10k.......I would just prefer not to have to keep weaving in and out of ye while ye do it.......
Remarkably 8.20 at mile 7{ just think what it could've been if I could've continued to tun a straight line!!!} b4 a 7.55 at mile 8 and a 7.54 at mile 9 the final .3 of a mile is the uphill on Kelly Dr that I use on my tempo runs so I'm well used to running it on tired legs, 2.48 as I crossed the line in 1.15.27 off 8.03 mile pace
Glass half empty slower than last year when I ran 1.13.11 off 7.54 mile pace, glass half full a negative split out in 38.04 back in 37.23, also lets not gloss over last years race was 6 days removed from a 1.51.56 Love Run this year was 1.41.59.......
For reasons best know to the powers that be I don't show up in the official results.....maybe the fact I don't partake/indulge in the post race Hot Chocolate festivities is frowned upon........I give a fiddlers fuck I got what I came for which was the medal, #5 for the season #274 for the career not to mention nine mile towards April's tally and I have idea of what shape I'm in heading into Broad Street in four weeks time
I should explain the photo above this entry,back in mid/late November a new attorney began at work she took the office I used to use to get changed in b4 and after my lunchtime runs and while I never held that against her I did take pity on her one day when she dropped her coffee outside her office and broke her mug, we'd established she used to run "back in the day" in prior conversations and was considering this years Love Run so I duly lent her an auld Love Run mug of mine I don't use as motivation for her to train through the Winter to do this years race, I'm happy to report she successfully finished this years race and is running Broad Stteet in four weeks time, as Charles Barkley famously once said in an interview"I am not a role model" however if I can motivate someone to get out there and run then I'll happily take that
