Running on a Sunday

Finally got back to a Sunday distance run. It's been awhile, almost a month, and it sort of showed. I haven't been slacking exactly, but busy. I've been out of town for three weekends in a row, so missed all those Sunday runs. I was going to wait until later in the day too, but the L n K word was to get the heck out there.

I played with the idea of heading straight south on 4th Street, and then following the Elbow River when I got that far. I think I would probably get as far as Sandy Beach in 8.5 km.

But just too stuck in a rut, I think. I ended up going the usual way after hardly even thinking about changing things. I guess you get in a zone and once on automatic pilot, you end up going where you always go.

It is a nice route to run, and it was a beautiful sunny morning for it. And a lot of people were out, I think for the Bow River Flow. I got up beside the C-Train bridge and found myself in the middle of several of those folding tent style pagoda thngs, under which were parked people and stuff from several bike shops. Off the path, there was a live band getting set up.

Shortly I was under and past the Louise bridge, and left that all behind. There wasn't a lot of traffic of any kind, but steady, like people have got past the urgency of getting out and enjoying summer and are back into a day to day flow.

Running through Lawrey Gardens was a pleasant jog, and once across the tracks, is where I like the in and out of forest and sunlight. I had been trying to stay consistent about pace, and was doing a very good job of staying within a second or two of 5:30/km.

At the south Edworthy parking lot, I had to wait for a very long train. It's probably the first one I've had to wait for this year. It probably wasn't that long a wait, but I could still feel things start to tighten a little while I waited.

Across the tracks, in the picnic area, there was an amplified but still nearly unintelligible voice, bawling about who knows what. I paid no attention, and fled across the foot bridge from it.

There is something about the backleg of this run, where I seem to get an energy boost, and my pace time drops. I found it was dropping to 5:15/km or there abouts, and it seemed impossible to slow it down.

After Crowchild I stopped trying to moderate myself, and just let my feet find the pace they wanted. But I was starting to feel it in the hip.

At the Louise Bridge again, I took a walk break, and then tried to get going again. I was running but the legs were just not up to swinging as fast as before, nor had my stride any length. Hips and hams and calves were hurting.

I hobbled on, with my pace now down to about 6:30. And I was in the middle of the crowd that was down for the Bow River Flow. Strangely, I thought they had the two lanes on the south side blocked for people to walk on. But there were barricades and pylons everywhere, and that yellow Caution tape. I suppose they had some kind of activities planned, but it effectively kept people on the path. I imagine the drivers crawling along in the two remaining lanes were none too happy to see all that deserted road space being unused.

I thought about getting out on the road, but there were too many barriers. I stayed on the path, and managed to dodge and weave through most of the crowd. It wasn't exactly packed.

Up the ramp and across the pedestrian overpass to the curling rink, then to The Stairs. I got up on The Path, and plodded up the 300 or so metres that it stretches along the bluff. I had nothing by this time. NO speed, and certainly stiff and sore. I think my pace might have dropped to around 8:00/km. Pretty sad.

Still I made it up and then ran along the bluff, to turn northward on 4th Street, and homeward. Not a great run, but as always, I'm glad I got out.

Distance: 16.41 Time: 1:35:09
Average speed: 5:47 min/km. (10.354 kph)
Rest distance: 1.80 km. Rest time: 10:02.
Total distance: 18.21 km. Total time: 1:45:11.

Shoes: New Balance 769.
Today's earworm: Farewell My Bluebell by Merle Travis.

Weather: Sunny and 20C.