Lake Barcroft Long Run - March 7, 2010

Time: 1:28:57

Distance: 9.8

Pace: 9:04

Weather: Warm and Sunny

Temp:57

Time:1 :22 PM

Terrain: Rolling hills.

Today I took advantage of the GORGEOUS weather and went out on a long run.  I haven't run in a week because of a combination of doctors appointments and getting a cold.  I did the loop around Lake Barcroft, the lake around my house.  By going into the side streets I make the run over 9 miles and add quite a bit of elevation, though the elevation chart certainly does not do this route justice because trust me it's brutal.

The run started off really well with some small ups and downs for about the first 4 miles.  Right after mile 4 theirs a pretty big hill (note not seen in the elevation chart AT ALL) after that it subsides a bit and it's pretty flat until you get onto Sleep Hollow Road for a short spot.  When I got here their was another guy running on the opposite side of the road and I felt it necessary to make sure he knew I was faster, even though it totally wore me out going up the hill faster than I needed to.  I then headed back into the lake community where it got really hilly, to the point I feel like the hills were just taunting me.  I would see a downhill and actually start to dread it, because I knew that at the end of that I would need to eventually go back up.

After I got back on Columbia Pike I did my best to pick up the pace a bit and I turned down a side road to finish off my run in a sprint...or something that tried to appear that way because I was beat!

Today I also tried out cytomax for the first time, it was recommended to me as a better alternative than Gatorade.  It tasted better, not sure how much more it helped, I definitely did the route faster than last time so maybe I had a little more spring in my step.  I look forward to testing it out more when I get quality runs in and get back into better conditioning, then I'll really know if it's adding to my runs.

Feburary 27th - Long Run (ish)

Time: 1:27:14

Distance: 9.4

Weather: Started off a little chilly but it was pretty sunny

Temp: 34

Time: 9:00 AM
Terrain: Rolling hills pretty much non-stop.  I ran on back roads most of the route until the end when I had to run on snow covered sidewalk or main highway.

I decided that today would be my return to trying to get in a long run on Saturdays, but I wasn't willing/able to wake up in time to run at 8 AM with the Pacers Fun Run Groups.  I mapped out a 9 mile route around a lake near my apartment, figuring it would give me a chance to see my new neighborhood and figure out my way around it...well the first part turned out to be right, I got terribly lost on my run!

This route, when mapped on mapmyrun.com appears to be flat and looks like it'll be a nice and scenic run, wow are they wrong on the flat part.  Nearly every side street I ran down featured a decent accent and decent...though I felt like I was really getting robbed on my descents and was not getting nearly enough rest.  I was also supposed to be able to turn left at one point and cross a bridge...well I never saw it and ended up on a main road.  I turned back into the community but didn't recognize where I was at all, so I asked someone walking a dog how to get back onto the Columbia Pike, the road I live on.  She gave me directions but I was so far back on a main road that it made the last 2 miles quite nerve wracking since sidewalks were non-existent under the snow and running with cars going 45 miles an hour next to you is not the greatest of feelings.

Overall I'd rate it as a pretty decent run, I thought I was going at a faster pace than I was, but I think I lost a lot of time on the hills.