Back to Back Runs

Fri AM: Run, 9K @ 5:11 pace.
Sat AM: Run, 19.6K in 1:57.

One of Higdon's marathon programs puts a medium run at marathon pace the day before your long run, the theory being to practise running when tired. I'll be gave this theory a go over the last couple of days and I've pulled through really well.

On Friday morning I did what is now my standard 9K river run. I did it with Virgil, who got a bad rap last time, but it's not Virgil's fault if I try to run hardxer than my body allows. In general, Virgil slows me down when I need it. Iset Virgil to run at 5:10 pace. I ran the entire run comfortably at about the same pace as Virgil, and I think I'm needing to look at him less, so I'm getting the hang of 5:10 pace.

About 500m from the end of the run I wan stopped by traffic, and Virgil put about 30m on me. I had no desire to catch it up, so at the end of the run I got the Garmin Failure music. I think it's a bit lame. Surely they could get a few seconds of Beck's "Loser". And I think Mr G's Garmin needs a Murmur's song given what he usually says about himself.

I have been trolling 2P's website, and found his
Long run course. I attempted to make a 20K run out of it and finished up doing this:



It was a great run. I tried using gels for the first time in ages. I took one before I started and another at 5K. I think it helped a fair bit, as I didn't fade nearly as much as I usually do in the last five K. In fact, the 5K splits were:

29:41 (5:56 pace)
29:50 (5:58)
30:41 (6:08)
26:41 (4.6K @ 5:49 pace)

I'm not sure about that 3rd 5K. I took a long drink at a bubbler during that 5K, but I must have also just been coasting a bit too slowly.

Had a great night out tonight at The Owl's farewell bash, but was denied entry to the Retro on the basis that "I looked like I'd had too many".

On the antibiotics I'm on, I haven't had anything to drink in weeks. Oh well, I was beginning to get tired anyway.

Should be a great ride tomorrow - a ride around Homebush Bay with TA and the Gnome