My wife and I traveled to Atlanta the last week of January to visit my new grandson. It also sees less of me; thanks to a fasting diet plan set up by the church that we have been attending, I have lost eighteen pounds since New Year's Day. I am hoping to run over the course of the week. It is an excellent test since the routes are reasonably compact but challenging regarding incline. I am still "Gallowrunning," usually running for two minutes and walking one. Still, this method feels more comfortable each time out and provides steps toward a reasonable goal. I figure that I can increase the running-to-walking ratio at a gradual and steady pace, moving to productive all running workouts.
One route, in particular, has caught my attention. We came down in December to help my daughter and son-in-law with various things around the house and, of course, to be near when the baby was born. During this busy time, I ran more of the two-to-one Gallowrunning throughout the neighborhood, directly behind my daughter's complex. One run saw me complete 5 kilometers in 43:08, but that did not stand out. I remember the trouble I had finishing the run and my struggles early into the first lap.
I knew the course would be hilly (what course in Atlanta isn't?), but it seemed like I was gasping for air way too early, even before the steep grades poured in. By the time I got to the half-hour mark, I was so gassed that I had to walk one segment that I should have ran, and it was so bad that my walk pace was barely at a crawl. I pounded out the final mile or so, cheating whenever I had to in order to finish. I was surprised that I managed to break 45 minutes, but that did not help my overall dissatisfaction or aching quads.
Fast forward to this week. I started the trip with two good runs through the same neighborhood, each about 3 to 3½ miles, with improved pace and power numbers. I choose to take a run and see if I can improve on the "pain course" numbers or, at the very least, prove that I can run it without needing to call 911. Here we go.
My daughter's complex has a nice setup to do a warmup run; it is flat, almost entirely traffic free, and located very close to the main drag in case you feel like getting in some moderate pre-run hills. I struggle with the warmup, which is concerning but not nearly enough to make me alter my plans. After some goofy leg swings and skipping warmups, which a passerby finds amusing, I am off. Excellent start in the complex, out a side gate to the sidewalk, and here we go.
The first real test will be on the first right, Merry Lane. The street has a downhill slope almost immediately followed by a 7% grade hill. At the end of the hill, the course takes a right turn unto a small connector street, where I had my first meltdown on the previous run. On that occasion, I was ready to dial 911 for the oxygen tanks during my walk phase. This run is not as alarming; while I felt my heart rate rise, the consideration of throwing in the towel did not cross my mind.
The next right circled around and brought you back out to Merry Lane. Interestingly, this street was named Christmas Lane and had a similar topography; however, the incline had a steep beginning followed by a longer, less sharp gradient. Easier on the legs and harder on the mind. I am fortunate to hit the steepest part of the hill on the walking phase; while this does not do much for my time, I navigate the rest of the street with minor wheezing and minimal profanity. I got back to the main drag in just over eighteen minutes.
Two quick rights see me pass a Dunkin Donuts and land on Lavista Road, the main thoroughfare on this route. I am on this road for about 20% of the route, and that's fine. It is relatively flat, has a nice safe sidewalk, and has plenty of smaller checkpoints to aim for, whether it be intersections, bus stops, or synagogues. I clean this out in about eight minutes, and with my heart rate hovering around 130, I am confident that I can finish this route in less than sixteen minutes.
The right unto Bramble Road is where I lost considerable time last run. I was so gassed that I had to walk through a run phase while on this road. Not today. Everything is still going according to plan. Bramble Road is similar in topography to the streets I encountered at the beginning of my run, one steep decline followed by one steep incline, with a slight twist: the decline on this street is longer than the incline. Encouraged and still feeling strong, I get through the hill and take a right onto Holly Lane (are you sensing a theme here?) for the last leg of my journey.
It is no longer looking like a matter of if I will beat my previous time but by how much. However, there is still work to do; Holly Lane has a gradual incline for the entirety of the road. There is also a very steep hill on the back path that returns you to my daughter's complex. Considering all this, I don't attack this street with a blistering pace but just take it easy back to the glorious flatness of the complex's parking lot.
A quick semi-lap sees me hit the five-kilometer mark in, can you believe it, 38:27! I shaved four minutes of my previous time, and I could run further if I wanted to, contrast that with my limping into port and gagging for air on the last run. All kinds of encouragement here, from the time and pace to the endurance, to the effort on the hills. This run acted as a springboard for more frequent and longer runs; in fact, I have reached my Strava goal for weekly distance for the past three weeks.
Watch out, Peachtree Road Race. Little victories are adding up!
No comments:
Post a Comment