Slipping Away

Today was one of the worst weather runs I remember. We had 18 miles on the schedule but Mother Nature had freezing rain on the mind. Freezing rain is worse than snow and worse than rain. As the rain/ice hits the ground or your clothes, it freezes. I had a frozen, ice-covered, brim on my hat! On top of that, with every stride, you loose a little bit of your forward push as your foot slips out behind you. There is defintely some lost energy.

OK, enough bitching. We got the run in. Big props to the MIT army, with the GF, and Double-D as well for gracing us with their presence. We don't run with the MIT group but it is always good to see so many other dedicated runners. The Fellas and I started from Wilson Bridge with a turn around at the 7-11 on Lane Avenue. The pace out was manageable in the 7:55 range. I was actually comfortable in a waterproof outer-layer, 2 wicking shirts, and tights. My feet were numb for most of the adventure though. It is probably a good thing since I thought it would be a good time to break in new shoes. Against all good judgment, I took my new Saucony ProGrid Ride on an 18-miler in the rain. I’ve got some good foot damage to prove it.

The pace, as usual, picked up on the back half with a few miles in the 7:20s and then down in the 7:10s. I held on to MD and GS as long as I could. Miles 13 and 14 were about 7 flat. I surrendered at mile 14 and told them to go on without me but after watching them run ahead, I mustered the energy/anger to grab back on for 1 more mile. I limped in the last 3 at about 8:00. The question is “Did I get dropped because they can run sub-3 hours?” or “They can run sub-3 hours because they don’t get dropped?”. I guess I need to work a little harder to find out.

The post race routine involved a little ice on a sore knee and “The Stick” on my calves. This was followed by a glass of red and a nap watching the History Channel.

Stats
18 miles (2:20)
163 lbs (163.4...Nemo was busting my balls for partial pounds)