I had a choice. The schedule called for an 8-mile long run, but my lunchtime is only an hour long. Unless I suddenly sprout wings or wear a rocket pack, there'd be no way in the world I could run when I normally do. The choice was either run 6 miles at lunch or get up early.
I commute 50 miles to work, and need to be there by 7:30, meaning I need to be on the road by 6:30 each morning. I was going to run 8 miles, so doing the math, the thought of getting up that early wasn't the greatest. Still, I wanted to run 8 miles, so I set the phone alarm for 3am.
I'm surprised at how well I got up this morning. As I got up, my wife asked me if I was ok, and I told her yes. She seemed quite surprised that I'd get up at 3:30am for a run before work. I've been up this early before, but usually for the longest long runs of a training program.
Before heading out, I went online to find that yesterday evening there had been an accident on the E Street Bridge. Apparently someone broke down, and a tow truck happened along and stopped to help. As they were outside the car, the truck was broadsided, taking the tow truck driver's leg with it. I was going to run across the bridge.
It was 37 degrees as I went out, and it certainly felt it. In fact, when I crossed the railroad tracks, the ties had ice on them! Luckily I didn't find any more patches of ice, I was a little nervous about falling. I haven't taken a fall since the one where I twisted my ankle last year, and I'd really like to keep my streak going.
I crossed the E Street Bridge, and as I was heading back, a police car stopped at the spot where the accident was the night before. As far as I can tell, he was only making sure the scene had been properly cleaned up. As I passed, the officer was looking around the spot he stopped.
At Arboga & Feather River Blvd., I stopped to take a picture in the dark. While the Palm Pre doesn't do too well photographing in the dark, it didn't turn out half bad, but fumbling around in the dark, trying to take a picture really slowed down that particular split.
Once home, I uploaded my run to the usual sites, showered, and headed off to work.
See the activity on RunSaturday
| Type: | Run - Tempo |
| Duration: | 2:33:54 |
| Distance: | 8.09 mi |
Splits
Mile 1: 9:58
Mile 2: 10:09
Mile 3: 10:24
Mile 4: 11:13
Mile 5: 15:48
Mile 6: 12:27
Mile 7: 10:37
Mile 8: 10:41
8 miles, 1:31:20, 11:25/mi average, 861 calories burned
This also opened an opportunity to burn more calories during lunch, when I'd normally be running. Instead, I used the elliptical machine at the gym for 50 minutes, burning an additional 472 calories, for 1333 total for the day. If it wasn't for being tired all day, I'd happily do it regularly!
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