Week 10: Six miles

1:42 hours, 2:3 minute run/walk ratio

My plan was to run at the track at the junior high school today, but when I got there, I found both parking lot entrances blocked off, so I drove back to the mailboxes and did the Dennison to Valley, Valley to Tucker and back loop instead. I suppose they must have been planning some event at the stadium today. Which reminds me also that the Mountain Festival is next weekend, when I've got a 14-mile run to do. I'll have to do some careful planning of where I'm going to run. I may end up doing my run on Monday instead of Sunday.

Anyway, it was a short run this week and went well. I kept up my pace pretty well, averaging exactly 17 minutes per mile, and finishing strong. Nevertheless, I grumble that I wasn't able to get my average time under 17 minutes, even on such a short run. Ah well. Checking back to my first six-mile run back in June, I ran it in 1:37 with a 2:2 minute run/walk ratio. So, five minutes more overall this time. However, the first time, I didn't do the Curry-to-Tucker miles, I did an extra Highline-to-Valley loop. The Curry-to-Tucker mile on Valley is a hard one, with lots of hills and narrow shoulders to run on. I always take 17+ minutes to to that. It may also be a longer "mile" than Dennison from Highline to Curry. I measured the distances in my truck, but my truck odometer is only accurate to within a tenth of a mile. It's close enough for training purposes, especially if I vary my routes, but variations in length can easily account for a minute or so per mile.

I ate a GU at four miles and felt fine. I think I need to be more careful about what I eat for dinner the night before a long run, especially since my stomach is so easily upset.