Monday, August 02, 2010

Late Start to a 13 mile Group Run

Thunderstorms and Saturday mornings seem to go hand in hand the last few weekends.

Hence, Saturday morning at a quarter to six, I'm standing in my kitchen eating breakfast and getting text updates to if the group will go out. There is lightening, which is what would cause CARA to cancel the run.

After some back and forth with Larry and Tomas, I find out that the 6am group would be delayed til 6:30. Then, we assumed, the 6:30 group would go out later as well.

I drive down to Montrose and get out of my car at 6:43. I see NO ONE. I talk with a CARA volunteer setting up gatorade and she tells me everyone left at 6:30am.

Which means...I may be running 13 miles...ALONE.

I do some quick math and make decisions as to how I'll try to catch my group. I'll pick up my pace to 9:45 or so and I'll use the water bottles in my fuel belt instead of stopping at the aide stations.

The weather was overcast and cool which made the run rather easy. No music and running alone is rather boring. I found myself recalling ABBA songs in my head and thinking of what I needed from the grocery store.

I told myself if I could catch up to the group south of Ohio Street, I wouldn't worry about the last mile and could come back with them. If the group passed me north of Ohio, I would have to do the entire run on my own.

I was lucky. I ran in to my group right in front of Navy Pier. Classic.

The run back was great. The miles flew by.

Sometimes you have to do a bit of 'speed' training in order to catch your group, but it's always worth it. Especially when you're wrapping up a 12.25 mile run at 9:30am instead of starting a 13 mile by yourself at that time.

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