Wheeeeheee

Yesterday was the second NYRRC Long Training Run of the season and I'd volunteered to lead the 8:00/mile pace group through 20. I honestly can't recall ever having a run go this well. We started with one of the Flyers at the lead of our group who was running with a Garmin. I didn't realize that until about 10 miles through and just thought that he was some sort of freak with an preternatural sense of pace. Anyway, we went through the first 16 at between 8:00 and 8:05/mile for each loop. People still complained -- too fast, too slow. Whatever.

As has been mentioned keeping the group from rabbiting can be kind of tough. Fortunately, our pace leaders were very militant about checking up with each other for feedback and directing runners -- "This should be easy for you. This is a long run and should be like a Sunday stroll. We're at mile 2. If this feels fast, that means it is too fast and you should be in another group." "How fast did you say you'd run your half marathon two weeks ago? 1:44:30? That's like 8:00 pace for you half p.r.! What the hell are you doing in this group? At the next loop, you are commanded to drop back with the 8:30's." "Hey, you guys are going to fast. The group's not going to do 7:45's with you. So, speed up and move ahead of the group and make your own." "That mile was faster, but it was easy terrain. There'll be an adjustment later in the loop. Don't worry everyone." It's shocking how many people sign up for groups mismatched to their target pace. One chick who joined us for the fast finish pace was targeting 3:30. Given her performance yesterday, she should be shooting for 3:10 (and after talking to her afterwards, I think she's going to revisit her goals). On the other hand, there were a number of people trying to run 8:00's who should have been trying to run 9:00s or 9:30s. Can't talk to everyone, but hopefully when some people above were screamed at spoken to, we kept at least a few from having a LTR burnout that'd shake their training confidence.

At mile 16, Uris and I broke off a group for a fast finish. About 10 of the 30 or so left in the group went with us. The target was "faster than 7:30 for the last 4 miles." I took the lead about a 1/2 mile and was running what I considered a smooth pace. Not straining at all, but going fast. It was a pace I could run for 4 or 8 and seemed reasonable -- especially since everyone was going with me. After the first mile, we found out the pace was about 6:50. One poor schmuck was shocked by this and came up to yell at Uris, "I thought this was the 8:00 group! That was 6:50!" Uris says, "This isn't the 8:00 group anymore and you'd have known that if you didn't have headphones in because you'd have heard the announcement. Don't blame me that you can't pay attention. This is the fast finish group. Why do you want to wear those stupid things when running with a group anway?" I love European bluntness. Anyway, that last 4 was absolutely no struggle, I felt fantastic and but for the pace-ees, I'd likely have run it faster. But, no joke, I killed them as soon as we hit the top of cat hill -- "We're on the flat! Move people! You're over the hill! Don't you dare quit on me now! This is the last mile of YOUR marathon! Hard to the finish!" We ran the last 4 miles in 27:00 flat, 6:45/mile. It felt fantastic and after we finished, when someone joked that we should do another 6, well, I actually entertained the thought of doing another loop.

Saturday afternoon, Erin and I spent the day at Bed, Bath and Beyond, the Container Store and K-Mart. Today, we've succeeded in restructuring about half our apartment (we now have bikes hanging from the bedroom ceiling!) and in making a lot of places on the walls where pictures now need to be hung. Thank you Jesus for spackle.

Finally, on the way to the gym this morning Erin and I were having a debate over whether "mosey" or "saunter" had a meaning with more intention behind it. I took the position that "moseying" required more thought because you "mosey on over" to a destination, but one can "saunter" without really going anywhere. Erin's thought was that "sauntering" required more thought because "moseying on over" implies a good bit of meandering, while "sauntering" is more moving from 'a' to 'b', albeit slowly. It's been a vicious debate that only two people growing up on the borders of the South could properly have, but does anyone else have thoughts? Let's see if anyone else can outmatch Erin and me for dorkiness! (And no online dictionary citations. That'd be cheating.)

Week in Review

Monday	Rest	--	--
Tuesday	8.0 miles	57:55 5X600m	7:14 avg. 2:10/600
Wednesday	11.3 miles	1:28:11	7:48/mile
Thursday	5.0 miles	38:40	7:44/mile
Friday	Rest	--	--
Saturday	20.0 miles	2:37:00	7:51/mile
Sunday	6.0 miles	48:05	8:01/mile
Total	50.3 Miles	--	--