Ups and Downs

It’s funny how things work out some times. Yesterday’s swim debacle (too strong of a word, true) got me questioning the efficacy of the whole training program, and wondering if I’d really lost everything I’d gained at the end of last summer. Turns out, no, not quite, but I get ahead of myself.

After the missed goal with Monday’s swim, I went to bed early and slept slightly late, figuring that I’d better get an afternoon run in while the current batch of nice days lasted. Good day at work, and while I was talking with one of the other runners in the office it hit me: I did two five mile days last week, and I couldn’t remember the last time I hit two fives in a week. Or, more to the point, hit two fives in a week and didn’t feel like I wanted to die.

So, I tied up things in the office, and skedaddled on over to Jamestown Island. I hadn’t run or biked on the island since September or October (again, too lazy to read my own blog and find out). I parked at the beach in the center of the south half of the island (Think it’s Manatee Beach, but somehow that doesn’t sound very New Englandy). Today’s goal was 3 miles, so I programmed the old forerunner for 4 miles (feeling jaunty) and ran on down the road.

The course for today has been instantly moved to probably my favorite that doesn’t require much of a special drive. Parking at Manatee Beach (for lack of its real name) starts the run at sea level, and the road climbs up from there. My guess is that max elevation on the island is somewhere around 50 or so feet. But the road goes straight up that within the first half mile from the beach. Crested the hill, mile 1 – 8:49. I’m pleased.

Keep on trucking down the long false flat on the way to the low point before I start the climb into Beavertail State Park. Look at the forerunner and road, and guestimate I could turn the run into a nice 5 miler by extending out to the lighthouse at land’s end. Sure, fine, I take a quorum in my mind, and finding no objections decide to go for it.

Success! My iPod pooped out and needed to be rebooted (good as new after that). AND it turns out that it was 3 miles to the end of the island, not 2.5 like I’d thought.

No worries, though: you can do it!

The short story (about which hopefully I’ll elaborate later): 6.2 miles, 52 minutes. Yeah, you read that right: Average of 8:32. AND I still had miles left in my legs.