Big Ten!

Well, my goal was to run an easy ten miler today since I have to work the weekend and won't be able to get any mileage in.

I wanted to run somewhere different, so I drove the short distance to one of our bike routes, the Interurban Road. I picked it because there are no real hills to speak of, just some gradual grades here and there.

As I began the first mile with my usual half mile walk and half mile slow pace run, I decided to see where a certain road lead to. You know, kind of an adventure and sight seeing run.

At not quite a mile into the familiar Interurban Rd., I took a right hand turn at 126th street and an immediate left onto Congress. There they were, hill after hill after hill after hill, etc. etc! I don't recall any flat surface for more that a quarter mile. This would have been a perfect route to train for the Hilly Hundred and I plan on riding this route the next time I'm on the bike.

Anyway, I had the wind at my back for the first five miles, but didn't realize it until I made the turnaround and spit into the wind only to have it smack me right back in the face. The wind was pretty tough on the way back, but I just considered it a challenge and kept on truckin'.

All in all, I was very satisfied with the splits considering I walked my full minute at the beginning of each mile with the exception of the last mile. I just decided to see what I had for mile ten, so I pushed it trying to just stay under a nine minute pace. Here are my ten mile splits:
13:51, 10:50, 10:58, 10:55, 9:37, 10:49, 10:55, 10:34, 10:47, and 8:43 for a 10:48 average with a max of 7:44. I take it!............Mike