Dec. 11, 2008

I had a chance to run outside today, since I got off work 90 min. early. That's what happens when you have to field a two-hour trouble call from the office in the middle of the night. As much as I hate to get those calls, when it leads to a little shorter day it usually pays off somehow.
I got out on the road for my run right at 5 p.m., so I had about 25 min. of daylight. My plan was for a tempo run of 6 or 7 miles.
People define tempo runs different ways, but to me it means running the full workout at near or below half marathon or marathon race pace. There's no true speed work involved, just a nice, steady pace at about 80 percent of maximum effort.
I ran all my splits between 8:09 and 9:09. The slowest was my first mile, which it should be, and fastest was the fifth mile. It was pretty dark during the last couple miles, and I slowed down and even got off the road a few times to avoid oncoming traffic. My 8:27.42 per mile average was quite acceptable. I will rest on Friday.
Next stop: The Chili Run on Saturday. This is a 6.5 mile loop around Wyandotte County State Park lake in Kansas City, Kan. It's a very hilly course, but it's a fun run that ends with a free chili dinner. Plus, I get to take all my old running shoes and dump them into the donation box for someone else to use. The only problem is that I need to get in a 14-mile run this weekend, so my plan is to run 7.5 miles around home, then change into dry clothes and drive out to the park for the race and the rest of my 14 miles. I'll be ready for that chili.