Tussey Mountainback Discovery Series, week 2

Last night was not a race, just an organized run. But it was the longest continuous run I'd ever attempted: 7.8 miles. The course covered Legs 2 & 3 of the Tussey MountainBack, which are almost totally downhill. My goal was to (a) finish without the aid of Search and Rescue, and (b) get in around 8-minute-mile pace (around 62 minutes).

I was totally relaxed the whole time, the running and my breath was easy, and I was using long strides. I was try to keep a steady but quick pace, and except for one or two short stretches, I felt like I did that. I started about 5 minutes ahead of Morgan, the Ultra-runner. She and her companion passed me about two miles in, but not really going that much faster than me. In fact, I kept pace with them for probably another mile or so before they started pulling away. But then again, she and the guy she was with were not working too hard, either: they were conversing almost normally, which I could not have done. (I was working to the point where I could converse, but with some difficulty.)

I was truely surprised when I came upon the entrance to the park: I figured I had another 10 minutes to go. I ran the 7.8 miles in 57:21, for a blistering (for me) pace of 7:21 per mile.

Next week should be much more difficult. It's Leg 4, which is 6.2 miles of climbing. I ran this course the other direction back in May, and it was no picnic then.

Bloglines - Runners: Try Cross Training in the Pool

Bloglines user paulmount@adelphia.net has sent this item to you, with the following personal message:

Maybe I should break down and get that pool membership.

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Runners: Try Cross Training in the Pool By Barbara Bourassa Swimming is good exercise, whether you are new to fitness or a practiced marathon runner. And for runners, in particular, swimming helps build muscle in the upper body, according to an article on www.runnersworld.com.Runners who regularly cross train in the pool may also recover from their injuries faster, the article says. "Swimming gives you active recovery, free of the impact forces of running," one expert says. "The hydrostatic pressure and coolness of water promote blood flow, which carries waste products away from sore muscles."You can get a good workout in a pool or in open water. But open water swimming is more challenging, in the way running up hills is harder than running on a flat road, and it burns more calories, the article notes.