On Saturday I did a half marathon in Roanoke Rapids, NC. It had been raining for several days and the flat dirt path had become a muddy bog for about half the course. And really, a lot of parts of the race were trailly, so I'd call it a trail race for the most part, especially with the mud. I got out ahead early, and was holding a good pace until the course got really rough around 3 miles, then I just had to more or less slide across the mud until I could get some footing, then take off as fast as I could. I ate it pretty hard around a turn and covered one side of my body with mud and a little blood, but that just made me look gnarlier, (if the beard and the flannel shirt I warmed up in wasn't enough.) Long, boring story short, I ran 1:14 with second at 1:23. Unfortunately, the money gamble didn't work out for me, as my only prize was a pint glass and a bottle of muscadine wine (gross) Still, a neat race, and I'll go back next year if they comp me.
Sunday I went out and ran way too fast for 16 ish, instead of doing my long run. I ended by running through good ol Sycamore Creek on the Cedar Ridge trail, normally I run through it when it's about 2-6" deep, but it was about 3'6" deep this time, and I decided to plow right through anyway, it was cold. That's the end of that story.
Tuesday I took on the double lactate threshold run again. This time 3o min LT/ 20 min. run/ 3o min. LT. I wore my Garmin and did most of the workout on the road next to the park to get some asphalt time. I made it 5.66 miles the first bout and 5.77 the second. I was pretty pumped. So that's 11.43 miles in an hour. that equals out to 5:15/mile for that distance, and that wasn't an all out effort at all. 2:17 marathon pace. I'm just shooting for under 2:25. I've had a string of pretty good workouts, so hopefully it comes together.
