Running Journal, Sunday, 2006-11-19

Running Journal, Sunday, 2006-11-19
Resting heart rate: n/a (60 second test)
Weather: sunny and hazy, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 15 C (59 F)
Time: 12:08-14:43
Terrain: mostly flat, some hills
Comments: Freaking awesome 13-mile run today. Weather seemed perfect — sunny but haze gave a white color to the light; temperature pleasant with a mild, cool breeze to keep me cool. Lots of people enjoying the Parkway this afternoon. As I walked across the pedestrian bridge, I watched a flotilla of eight two-person canoes clump together near Sunrise bridge. Gulls floated on the low river hoping to find a meal of fish. I wore sunglasses today and they felt comfortable the entire way, blocking the UV rays from my eyes. Something to consider when outdoors a lot I guess. On Saturday I cleaned out my goody bag from the NYC marathon and found a sheet of tips for running form. The tips included striking with heel first then push off with toe, swinging with the elbows and hands forward and backward instead of side to side, keeping hips straight and head up. It also suggested drinking one cup of water (eight ounces) every 20 minutes. I began doing this after running about three miles and kept it up until I finished. I hydrated myself on Saturday evening which helped and running in the afternoon allowed my body to digest the breakfast properly I think. As I ran over the pedestrian bridge connecting C.M. Goethe Park with William B. Pond Park, I noticed how the sunlight shone to the bottom of the low river. I watched for Chinook salmon but failed to see any. On the other side of the bridge I noticed for the first time a plaque memorializing the bridge as the Harold M. Richey Memorial Bridge. The date on the plaque read 1987. On the return trip across the Bridge the shadow of the bridge darkened the water to the point where I failed to see anything in the water. Around mile seven-eight I heard a snippet of conversation from two passing bikers: "Are you concerned you're underinsured?" Curious. At mile eight-nine a biker turned the corner with his tongue hanging out much like a dog might. Weird. For several miles I ran about one-half mile every five minutes. Around mile 10 I began slowing down. At mile 11 a 40 year-old woman stopped as I said hello and asked me if I had any PowerGels. I gave her as much of the Powerbar I carried as she wanted and she shared she had run out of gas on her 21-mile run. I asked if she planned to run the California International Marathon on Dec 3 and she said yes. At mile 11 I met an older gentlemen with a beard I saw quite often earlier in the year but have not seen so much in recent months. I greeted him and he gave me a warm smile and asked how I was doing. I said "Almost done," and he laughed. He's looking ripped, I don't have to ask him if he's doing the CIM. He used to wear his marathon tee shirt but today he had on something else. Around mile 11-12 I switched the hand I held the water bottle with because I felt so tired. For some reason the restroom at mile 19 remained locked today. I finished with a time of 2:35 which I feel happy about since I usually do 10 miles in 2:15. I felt strong but tired afterward, feeling like time for a nap. The view of the river to the west as I walked back across the pedestrian bridge to my car caught my breath. Time for great Indian food with friends at 17:00 at Sher-E-Punjab. ^_^
Time: 155 minutes (2:35), ~12 minutes/mile or 5:12 marathon pace
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 13 miles
Total Distance For Year: stopped counting after first marathon
Weight (after run): 80.8 kg (178.2 lbs), 26% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Left top of foot near ankle a bit sore, left big toe black and blue, inside muscles of legs tired
Foods eaten today: blueberry bagels with Smart Balance and cinnamon-sugar, yogurt, banana