I decided to run my 7 miler first thing this morning--my midweek long run or as Hal Higdon calls it, the “sorta-long-run”. I was reminded by my Daily Mile buddy, Rich, about wearing the HR monitor so that I can better gauge my perceived efforts. I was glad to be reminded to use it because it is a very useful tool and it ain't helpin' me much by sittin' in a drawer. After the run today I can see its intrinsic value. It showed me how I've learned to ease into my run. I used to just run out without getting my muscles warmed up. I can see how my heart rate increases as my perceived effort also increases, most notably on the hill climbs. There were three today. On each climb, my HR would increase about 2%; it registered 82%. It showed that I was working hard on the uphills. When I was all warmed up, my HR leveled to about 80%. That's good information since I was supposed to run it between 80 percent to 85 percent.
One thing about monitoring HR, I was surprised that in the middle of the run, it felt like I was just running along my normal effort, but the HR showed that I’ve increased my pace. However I did not feel as if I worked harder to achieve that increased pace. In the end, my overall pace for the run was 9:28. I would say that is pretty good for being the first run of the week, and being stiff first thing in the morning and rolling out of bed.
I ran the 7 miles early so that I have all day today until early evening tomorrow night to rest. I want to give my tempo at the track my all. The track is a mental barrier for me since I am going round and round in circles. My goal is to run it at 2:00-2:07 per lap for 10 laps. That will give me the 20 minute tempo workout that I need.
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| See Morro Rock in the middle? It's right there! |
In the meantime, enjoy this wonderful pictures I took tonight from Cayucos, looking in at Morro Bay. It was unusually clear and sunny. Typically it is foggy where you wouldn't be able to make out the famous Morro Bay Rock.
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| The lovely Cayucos Pier: the finish line for the Miracle Miles 10K |
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| Cayucos is a quaint little beach town 6 miles north of Morro Bay |
Happy Running! 95 Days until NYC Marathon!
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