So Far

Just a few bits & pieces before I sign off for a trip to Minneapolis and my 5k tomorrow -

38 miles on Vapor yesterday, riding Brazo's route. I only took one wrong turn, but realized it after about a half mile. Wicked windy, but it was mostly a cross-wind on the route. I averaged 17.5mph for the ride. Interestingly, my last several rides at 30 miles or more have been at 17.5mph (37.5 miles), 17.4mph (42.3 miles), and 17.7mph (35.5 miles). Apparently, I am nothing if not consistent.

Tuesday night I ran my weekly half marathon. The strategy hasn't been too difficult - the first 3 miles are just low heartrate, no concern for pace; this is just how I intend to approach the Madison half marathon later this month and the Racine Half Iron in July. After those 3 miles, every week I've been adding one more mile at race-pace intensity, then the remaining miles are easy. So a few weeks ago, for instance, I had 3 easy, then 6 at 8:30/mile pace (my intended race pace), then 4 easy. Tuesday night I ran 3 easy, then 8 miles hard - at 8:19/mile! That's fast, people. For me at least, 8 miles is a long way to go under 8:30. And I could've gone further at that pace, which is great. The goal, of course, is to go 3 easy, then 10 hard, to finish the 13.1 in under 2 hours. Hopefully well under. Then for the rest of the summer, I keep working on getting those 10 miles faster and faster, so that when the 70.3 comes around, a "slower pace" still gets me in under 2 hours. So far, so good.

Mostly unrelated conversation of the week - I went to the jewelry store to pick up a battery for my Nike + watch which controls my iPod.

Blond Buxum Lady At Counter, Mid 50's, Nobody I Know: "I like your glasses."
Me: "Thanks."
Buxom: "Did you pick those out all by yourself?"
Me: "Yep."
Buxom: "Didn't have your wife help you or anything?"
Me: "Uh, no.
Buxom: "Huh. Well look at you!"

er, thanks I guess?

Happy weekend everybody -I'll leave you with this, from Boston 2008, to get your ass in gear for training this weekend!