Alternate tempo run route
We had the tempo run on the schedule today, and the usual four-mile route was still flooded. So, we got to run on the east side of the trail instead. We warmed up as a group by running a couple miles out to the eight mile marker on the trail, and the plan was to run from there to the mile four marker at speed. We got lined up pretty quickly, and we were off before I knew it. I hung on to the lead pack for the first mile, but I payed for it later. I was still fresh going over the dam one mile in, and the next mile is fairly interesting territory. By the time I reached the baseball fields (half-way), I was running all by myself. The leaders were long gone, and no one was immediately behind me. I really liked mile three. There is a long straightaway from the ball fields to I-35, and just seeing that bridge ahead makes it feel close. I was a bit discouraged when I hit the 5.25 marker and saw the next person ahead just reaching the bridge because I knew he was more than a minute ahead of me. That last mile was pretty tough. It had the most hills of any section of the route, and I was pretty tired. I talked myself through it, though, and kept moving pretty well. I ended up with 25:54, which is not really close to my best at this distance, but it’s still a solid run. I think the best news is that my legs still just feel great. I did a little cool-down run back across the South First bridge and into Auditorium Shores with a couple of the others, and then we knocked out a few strides before calling it a day.