Almost St. Patrick's Day

I wasn't sure it was going to be warm enough, but after how mild it was yesterday and and looking at the forecast, I thought it would be OK for shorts and a tee. And it was, although it took a short while to appreciate that. The first walk break wasn't bad, and after that I never noticed the cold on bare legs.

Today was the St. Patrick's Day run and I totally forgot about it. I was past the start at Eau Claire, way ahead of the start time. Even so, there were a lot of people out this morning. It was even crowded in a couple of places along the promenade.

Just past the helicopter pad, one seriously big bunny wandered across my path, pretty unconcerned that I was bearing down on him. He was moving slow enough that there was no trace of hop, and he sauntered into the spruce trees across the path. Not the superstitious type _{L n K}, but I figure a bunny crossing my path is a good sign, even a tired bunny not moving too fast.

I had some surprising interval times early on in this run, and was at 14th Street much quicker than I expected. The support people were just setting up for the race, putting together water station for the runners.

It stayed quiet on the path after that. Still lots of people out, but nothing like the crowds I passed on the promenade. That changed after crossing the river to the north side at Crowchild. Once I got on that path, it was almost wall to wall people at times. Big groups were out running, a couple of them of twenty or more people.

I was still fast, and getting faster, with intervals below the five minute pace. I don't know what is going on, but I rather like it. I feel really easy in the legs, and even all that achy stuff that sometimes comes up when I push too hard, isn't there at all these last couple of runs. The limitation has been in the lungs, not being able to get enough air sometimes for the pace I end up at.

Today wasn't all that bad, but it was the lungs that limited the pace. And I felt I had lots of capacity there. I breezed past the race's turn around point and continued toward Edworthy.

Rounding Angel's Cafe, it was at the start of a walk break, and amazingly at 50 minutes into the run. Usually I'm between 55 and 60 minutes at that point.

On the way back, not so many huge groups, but more small ones and solos. At the turn around for the St. Patrick's Day race, it was fully underway, and traffic was thick. I found it interesting that the racers were less inclined to return a good morning than the regular Sunday runners that I usually encounter.

At Crowchild, the crowd crossed to the south side of the river while I continued straight. Again at a good pace, and I was well down the trail for walk breaks, farther than I usually am. By the time I was near 19th Street, it was head down and go. Kind of that zone place where time stops and I find I just glide along, almost not feeling my legs or the pavement or anything.

Finally at The Stairs, I literally bounded up the first two flights and stepped off onto The Path. That slowed me right down, especially the steep first part. Taking the stairs the past few months has left some muscles unused, like the ones used in running up steep hills. But I still made it to the top at a pretty good pace.

And then the usual finish. A slow couple of hundred metres along the bluff until my breathing settled down a little, and then I got on the street and picked up the pace again. Lovely finish, that.

Distance: 16.59 Time: 1:24:29
Average speed: 5:05 min/km. (11.78 kph)
Rest distance: .8868 km. Rest time: 9:00.
Total distance: 17.47 km. Total time: 1:33:29.

Shoes: Asics GT-2130.
Today's earworm: Green Thumb by Tommy Emmanuel.

Weather: A little fog, and -8C to -6C.