Ending 2006 With a Bang

Ran 23.1 miles @ 8:05 pace average.
Paved and dirt roads (icy, thin snow)
Very hilly.
Weather: lower 20s to start, lower-mid 30s at end. Sunny.

After two days of rest, a long run was in order. This was probably one of the better long training runs I've done for a few reasons: 1) This route was very hilly. I don't think I've ran a road training route this hilly over this distance before. 2) Good pace despite slippery conditions, with a light progression throughout. I should note that this was four loops, and after the first and second loops I did stop by my house for pit stops, shedding clothing and drinking water, so there was a little bit of a rest in there. Still, even with that in consideration, I'm very pleased with today overall.

Loop 1 (5.67 miles) - 8:10/mile pace. Getting warmed up. Climbing the hill the first 2.8 miles seemed like cake on fresh legs. Towards the end, the gore-tex jacket and gloves seemed a bit much. Stopped in the house to ditch jacket, opting to run in a long sleeve wicking shirt over a short sleeve wicking shirt with gloves.

Loop 2 (5.67 miles) - 8:08/mile pace. Felt great. A husky came out barking, but didn't pose a threat. Towards the end, the gloves were a bit too much. Opted to swing inside house to drop them off.

Loop 3 (5.67 miles). 8:03/mile pace. Still feeling great, albeit a little more tired. Husky comes out barking again, it looks like he just wants to play but while that's tempting, I'd rather do my run. Thin layer of plowed snow over the dirt road section is beginning to loosen up with the warmer temps, making the pace slower and trickier.

Loop 4 (6.12 miles). 8:01/mile pace. Added a little extra here to ensure that I'd be over 23 miles. Snow on dirt road is very loose now, and I had to shorten my stride to prevent slipping. Feeling tired but fine. Glad to be done with time to update running log, blog, and take a shower before the football games start.

Weekly total - a mere 55.4 miles. Not much, but that's what I get for taking two days off. Glad to end the week on a good note though. Looking forward to a killer 2007! Wishing my fellow runners out there the same.