TITLE: A Great Day for a Run
AUTHOR: Eugene Wallingford
DATE: April 24, 2005  3:54 PM
DESC: Just running through an Iowa winter can be challenge enough.  But I ran, enjoyed, and got faster, too.
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BODY:
I've been negligent in posting the next installment
of my
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2005-02.html#e2005-02-28T10_59_57.htm">
   Running on the Road</A>
series, to detail my experiences and recommendations
for running in Tucson and Carefree, Arizona.  That
won't likely come for a couple of weeks, until my
semester has ended.  By then, I hope to have an entry
on running in San Diego, too.  But I can report a
great spring running here at home.  In January, I
reported my plan for the winter:
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2005-01.html#e2005-01-14T09_15_31.htm">
   get faster</A>.
I kept up weekly track work-outs through February,
when conference trips interrupted.  When I returned
home and got back into my routine, gorgeous spring
weather and rising temperatures made outdoor running
so attractive that I hit the trails inside of the
track, though I still pushed myself hard a couple
of days a week.

The last two weeks have seen a culmination of the
winter running.  Two weeks ago, I ran three times
that were either personal bests or personal #2s on
their respective routes.  I ended the week with a
hilly and credible 14-miler.  This week, I recovered
from all that exertion with easy runs until Friday,
when I got back on the track for the first time in
a couple of months.  The results pleased me:
<UL>
<LI> Friday: my fastest 8-mile track workout ever,
     shaving more than 2 minutes off my old PR
<LI> Sunday: my fastest time ever on a beautiful
     20-K trail route through
     <A HREF="http://www.stateparks.com/george_wyth_memorial.html">
        George Wyth State Park</A>.
     I haven't checked my running log yet, but
     I'm guessing that I cut 5 minutes off my best
     time for this route.  And that includes a race
     time running the Sturgis Falls Half-Marathon
     last June!
</UL>

I guess I have to rate my winter "maintenance mileage"
a success.  I enjoyed my runs and got a little faster
in the process.  Now comes a season in which I can
enjoy the outdoors even more, boost my mileage, and
start thinking about running 8-minute miles or better
for 15, 18, 20, ..., 26.2 miles.  The race goal: run
the
<A HREF="http://www.twincitiesmarathon.org/">
   Twin Cities Marathon</A>
on October 2.  The pace goal: 3:30.  That's aggressive,
given that I ran 3:45 in my
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2004-10.html#e2004-10-17T15_23_52.htm">
   second marathon</A>
last October.  But an aggressive goal supported by
good preparation and tempered by a healthy dose of
realism is okay.  Let's just see how I feel in
September.
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