Lots of Interesting News...

Well, okay, if you're a non-runner, you might not find it that interesting.

The first news is that I received my Garmin Forerunner 205 yesterday and wore it for the first time in today's run. The Training Center software is very cool -- allowing you to see your run in a map format and with elevations, pace, etc. -- basically every bit of minute detail a techie geek like me would want to see. But the things I like the best about it are that (a) it automatically logs my 1 mile 'laps', so I don't have keep a close eye on the distance travelled so that I can press the Lap button at the exact right time anymore, and (b) it gets recharged by hooking it up to my computer, so I dont' have to carry a supply of AAA batteries when I run "just in case".

This is my 'easy' week -- just four 7 and 8 mile easy runs this week. Brian met me at 8:30 to go for my easy run and his Speed Work runs. He had to do 3 x 6:22 miles separated by 800 m. of jogging. I just had to run my 8 miles at somewhere around an 8:30 pace. I just ran at an easy pace for the first half of my run, and was knocking off 8:00/miles. But at about the 4 mile mark, I started to slow down -- I think more because I was then running slightly up hill and into the wind than anything else -- but even then did an 8:16 mile. I don't know if the 'easy' runs are getting any easier, but certainly the psychological effect these days is that an 8 mile run (almost 1/3 of a marathon) is a short run.

As we were returning to the house, I was still a mile short of my 8 mile target, so I took Brian on a tour of the trails that we'd built in the woods along the riverbank behind the house. Its about 2/3 of a mile back, so by the time we were done, we'd logged and extra 1.3 miles. It definitely pays to watch your step running through the woods, though. A couple of times I got tripped up by roots or stumps. It might be fine for horses, but when you're running, there is a lot that could ruin a marathon training plan! {Mental note: Take the lawn tractor through and clear up the crap thats along the trail}.

So, for me anyways, there were three interesting things: The new GPS, the realization that my running psychology is evolving as I run more, and the trail run at the end. Another good day!