Pre-race runs the most fun
It seems the runs prior to a race weekend are always the most fun. It could be that the work has been done and there's nothing that will improve the performance just a few days away...at least run-wise. It could be that the hard workouts are done or it could be that this was a maintenance run, a tapering down from the longer mileage of last week. An slow, enjoyable trip around the lake. Or it could have been the 15-degree drop in temperature put a little extra kick in the stride.As I started out, there were very few people on the trail. It felt like running through the MIT campus in Boston in September. Leaves were falling and a cool breeze was blowing from the north. I thought the 63-degree temps would have had everybody out, combined with the 30% humidity. Once I got on the backside of the Town Lake Trail, I found it was the 25-mph wind with 40-mph gusts, blowing trail sand into mini-funnels that people were staying away from.
Those that were on the trail seemed to be just as perky as animals when a cold front comes through. They're a little more hyperactive. Their pace is a little faster. I passed a couple of SWAT cadets or officers running the trail in the opposite direction. Once I turned around we were all heading in the same direction. We jockeyed position back-and-forth several times and made an informal race of it. An easy run turned into an informal race and a lot of fun. Since I train alone, I'm always looking for a pace bunny that gets me to push the pace a little bit.
I saw the guy with the four Irish Setters by the dog area. They were loose and having a ball scampering around the pond. With their long hair, I bet they were really enjoying the cooler weather. I need to stop and watch them for half an hour or so. They're so beautiful when they're all together, running and jumoing park benches in unison. I had an Irish Setter from 1982 until 1994. Her name was Bob. Actually her name was Sandy but Dad and I called her Bob. It just fit and the first Irish Setter ever was also coincidentally called Bob.
Sometimes I wish Bob was still alive to run with. Currently, I have Travis, an adopted Dachshund. He's more of a sprinter having raced in the Buda Weiner Dog Races last year but he's starting to move into the longer distances. We did a 5K walk together where he was dead set on running rather than walking. I obliged thinking he would tire early on but he never did. It's going to be tough getting him out for the short runs now that the cooler weather has arrived. He always stops at the front door and refuses to go out once the nippy breeze hits him in the snout.
- Time: 46:14
- Distance: 5.5 miles
- Pace: 8:24 min/mile
- AHR: 142 bpm
- Running Map: Town Lake Trail
tags: dachshund, irish setter, Lions Club
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home