PM - this is a pre-emptive blog here in Colorado Springs. Mike and I are planning on going over the first half of the out-and-back 1/2 marathon I am running on Monday - me on foot, and him on his bike. I am going to make sure that I take these miles nice and easy - 8:30 pace. My only desire for this run is to acquaint myself with the 1/2 marathon course other than just via a map so that I know where the turns are and such, and have a better idea of what the elevation will be like. More detailed blog to follow.
Update: disaster struck! So I went for a nice easy run with Mike riding his bike alongside me, so that I could get a good idea of the course and better know what to expect. The first 1/2 of the course was all gravel trail. Other than a first mile that was a little too fast, I was right on my target pace of 8:30/mile. However, I think that two days straight of travel, combined with the altitude, ended up doing a number on my calf. At the 3.5 mile mark, I got a monster cramp in my calf - not a pop, but boy did it hurt! I ended up walking a bit, and then finished the run at a slower pace. Needless to say, I was extremely upset and worried I wouldn't be able to run the half on Monday. After vigorous massage and scraping, it started to feel better on Sunday, but I was still worried. See race report on Monday for full details. |