Monthly Archives: September 2024

10K, 7 miles, Hills

10K

Last week I ran one more time. I planned to do six miles, but as I was finishing, decided to add 0.2 miles to make it a 10K. So it was my first run of 10K for a long time.

There wasn’t much special about it (it took almost 1:18:00), but I did have a fastest pace of 5:00 and an average pace of 7:18 in my last 0.1 miles despite being quite beat. Then I thought about how in high school, that 7 minute pace was my easy run pace.

Cycling

I didn’t run more last week because I went for bike rides instead: 18+ miles on the 17th, 26.2 miles on the 20th, and 35.2 miles on the 21st, for a total of just over 80 cycling miles last week. That 26.2 took me just under two hours, but taking out traffic lights and such, it was about 1:45.

The 35.2 took me 2:53:50, but 2:43:09 moving time. I was kind of beat before I was headed home. I stopped for a tiny rest at a place with a great view. I didn’t take pictures that time, but I had rested there on Labor Day, and took some then.

7 Miles and Hills

Today I decided to go for a seven mile run, because why not? I also decided to do a hill workout. So I ran three miles or so to a great hill by a river. I forgot to press the lap button for my first time up, which was going to give me a nice, slow baseline. Oh well. I ran up twice more, each time trying to go fast.

My first fast lap up was 0.09 miles in 0:43.1. Second was in 0:45.9. I was a little bummed that I didn’t get my second lap faster, but, my average pace was 8:04 and 8:41 on an average of 5.3% grade (there’s a fair bit of not steep distance, followed by steep stuff). And, my fastest pace for the run was not downhill, it was on my first uphill, 5:33.

Let’s not discuss my pace in my last mile.

First Five in Three Years

Stats

  • Distance: 5.11
  • Time: 1:00:43
    • It’s kind of sad to think I used to be able to run five miles in almost half that time (58%), but I used to weigh almost half what I weigh now (59%)
  • Fastest pace: 4:17 🎉🥂
    • During my last 0.1 mile speed challenge
    • Pace during that last 0.1 was 7:01

I’m happy with that fastest pace, even though the average for the last 0.11 was only 7:01. I really started slowing down at the end. I was kinda of winded. That 4:17 might possibly have had something to do with it.

50

My first ever 50 mile bike ride was yesterday. I made it all the way around Bear Lake (Utah and Idaho), but the distance was only 49.6 miles or so, so I made a U-turn and got another 0.2-ish miles before heading back. When I finished, I was at 50.15 miles.

Stats:

  • Time: 4:06:36
  • Average speed: 12.2 mph
  • Fastest speed: 34.5 mph
  • Estimated Calories burned: 2033
  • 1076 feet ascent / descent

The last time I tried (3.5 years ago), I didn’t make it all the way around. The last seven miles killed my average this time, and last time I don’t think I would have continued somewhere in that stretch.

The hill that I thought of as huge last time, didn’t seem as big this time, so much so that I kept looking for the next big hill, and never got to it. Glad I tried to get a fast speed going down the last hill.

Paused to capture the view on the east side of the lake

4:29

I ran the reverse direction from what I’ve been running, and in the 5 pm afternoon sun. I had a little bump that formed on my leg, which I’m hoping a) that it was due to the lotion I had put on trapping heat in, and b) the cold water shower I took after my run resolved the issue. If not, I may not be working out for a few days while I deal with another eczema flare up.

The course is harder in reverse. It’s a little bit of downhill followed by a lot of gentle uphill, then steep uphill, and then it’s still uphill, until finally it’s downhill. I wasn’t feeling motivated to push it downhill. I still did a 0.1 “speed test” even though I was running short on time before symphony orchestra rehearsal.

Stats:

  • Distance: 3.1 miles
  • 36:42
  • Fastest pace for the last 0.1 mile: 4:29
  • Average pace for the last 0.1 mile: 6:48

I also got my fastest mile since starting to use my 965: 10:13

Update: oh, and I hurdled over a hydrant. Sort-of. If my left foot had been further over, I might have caught the tip of it, and the ensuing scene would have been reminiscent of the time I hurdled three garbage cans at the curb, and my foot caught the inside lip of the last can.