Well, that wraps it up for my R.O.C. Race training regimen. Eight weeks sure went by fast! The last week was an unexpected one -- the weather suddenly turned cold again and the wind came on fierce! But I made sure to persevere; I didn't want to make it this far only to let it fall apart at the tail end. So here are my final five runs leading up to Saturday's race:
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Distance: 1.47 miles
Time: 14:47
Location: Yucca Loma to first street east of gas station
This was to be my final short run on my training plan. 1.5 miles. Those are always welcomed runs. I had acquired some new shoes I planned on using for the R.O.C., so tonight I tried them out for the first time. They felt great and I hardly needed to break them in at all. In fact, tonight's run was one of my fastest in a long time. The final time of 14:47 doesn't reflect that, but that's because I got stuck at the light at Apple Valley Road both ways. I was probably closer to the 12-minute range. My pace at the end had increased to 8:37/mile. So the shoes felt great, the run felt great, and tonight's run was a clear sign of progress. May started off well.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Distance: 4.04 miles
Time: 40:02
Location: Apple Valley to Bear Valley
This run was a long time coming. I had always wanted to hop on Apple Valley Road's running path and take it clear down to the main drag, Bear Valley. I had come close a couple of times, and once Deborah and I walked it, but I had never made it all the way. Tonight, though, I was determined to get it done once and for all! Because of a busy weekend I wasn't able to get my third run of week 7 in. So I had to do something unusual and run on a Sunday. I had to because my race was in less than a week and I had run out of available days to run. So I laced up and headed out around 8pm for a long 4-miler. I had run 4 miles only once so far up in the desert, and it was back on April 23, a decent run. But I was determined to make this a better one. And it most definitely was! The route is a pretty basic one -- straight shot down Apple Valley clear past the Lowe's and with Bear Valley in sight. It felt weird to be running past the lights and activities of the shopping centers along Bear Valley. I'm so used to the quiet, and often dark, areas around my neighborhood. But I enjoyed it. It definitely added a unique touch to this run. And the run itself was a great one. I felt strong throughout most of it. The extra miles could be felt all over, my feet mostly. But I maintained my pace and saw it through. The weather was good (this was right before it began to turn). And with that I completed week 7 (at the beginning of week 8).
Monday, May 5, 2014
Distance: 3.62 miles
Time: 39:21
Location: Yucca Loma to Quapaw and back
As I mentioned above, the weather was turning for the worst. I needed to get 40 minutes in tonight, and I took my chances by taking Nathan out in the stroller. We left at around 7:00pm, and it didn't seem too cold yet. But as soon as we began the wind picked up and the temperature dropped. By the time we got out about a mile I was regretting bringing Nathan. I was warmed up from the running, but Nathan, simply sitting in the stroller, was getting blasted by the cold wind. My plan was to take Yucca Loma east until I hit 20 minutes, then turn and head back. The farthest previously I had run on Yucca Loma was to Cree Road back in May of 2013. But tonight I beat that record by getting out to Quapaw Road (which is only a little farther). At this point I checked on Nathan. His cheeks were pretty cold, but he was in good spirits. So we headed back (into the wind, unfortunately). It was a smooth run back. But it was getting dark, so I tried to pick up my pace to get my son out of the cold wind. We made it back home and took comfort in the warm garage as we waited for my wife to get home from picking up some Mexican food (it was Cinco de Mayo).
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Distance: 2.98 miles
Time: 33:21
Location: Yucca Loma to Kasanka to Ottawa to Apple Valley loop
I needed 3 miles tonight, and since I didn't want to repeat Monday's run along Yucca Loma, I decided to revisit April 28th's run around our neighborhood. Last week I ran it with Nathan and Deborah, but tonight it was just me. This run, however, wasn't much of a good one. I was hoping, since this is my last week until the big race, that each run would be great and I would go into the race feeling supremely confident. But I made the mistake of filling my stomach up prior to the run. We picked up some Thai food after I got off work, and I ate around 5:30pm, thinking I'd be good by 8 or so. But it sat heavy on me, for when I began running up our street I immediately felt a cramp set in. I hardly ever get cramps, but this was a bad one. It forced me to slow down, but I didn't let it stop me. It bothered me all along Yucca Loma and Kasanka, and finally as I made my way along Ottawa it began to get better. The run finished pretty good, but it was a reminder to not go out on a full belly anymore. It was also extremely windy and still on the cold side. I've even been having to wear my long-sleeve running shirt that I was training in back in February!
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Distance: 1.94 miles
Time: 19:40
Location: Yucca Loma-Apple Valley-Ottawa-Cuyamaca-Cronese
Last run before the R.O.C. Race! I was anxious for this last run, a small 2-miler. It had been a busy week, and fitting in all the runs was a challenge. Even tonight, I had a million other things going on, and running would not have been on my agenda if it were not for my race being in 2 days. After work I had to drive down to Rancho Cucamonga for a doctor appointment. Then I met my wife at my parents' house for dinner. We got back home after 8pm and I simply threw on my shoes and headed out the door, even though I would have rather collapsed in bed. I came up with a new (sort of) run that took me out to Yucca Loma, down Apple Valley, back along Ottawa, then all the way up Cuyamaca before heading back down my street. This was a much better run than yesterday's. It gave me a renewed confidence for the big race Saturday. I felt great and my pace was definitely faster than yesterday's. When I finished I was able to enjoy the thought that I'd officially completed 8 weeks of training, not missing a single run. My strength training regimen went out the window weeks ago, but my runs I stuck with, and now I can go into Saturday's race knowing I did all I could to prepare (and also know I get a nice break afterwards). With that, I await race day. My next post should be a fun one.
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