Shaving the Pace

Following Tuesday's run, while out running errands I stopped by the two running stores located here in Norman we did not check when shopping over the weekend. One of the stores, Athletic Village, was in the process of moving to a new location so their stock was not complete. They were having a moving sale and were not restocking the shelves because all new stock was being sent to the new location, which was not opened yet. I was not a big fan of this store in terms of running because they were a multi-sports store, not specializing in running. Now the other store I ventured into, The OK Runner, was a running store. In many ways this store was better than the store in OKC. They had a larger apparel selection, they had a larger sock selection (although no Injinji), and they had more selection and stock of energy foods, gels and drinks. There also was a larger section of accessories, including sunglasses, winter gear, electronics and more. I was very pleased with the service I got and felt welcomed there, unlike in Athletic Village. I can not speak for the selection of shoes for me because I did not shop for shoes on this trip, although there was a large selection of shoes on the wall.

Now onto Thursday this week. I did not get to my run until late afternoon (4pm). This was my second trip out on the road. I followed the same 5k loop I did Tuesday, except I added an extra half mile section near the beginning and had to start start a second lap briefly to complete my goal of 4 miles. One of the joys I am finding in the outdoor running is the element weather plays into your outcome. Thursday's run saw the temperature start at 69 degrees and drop to 59 degrees an hour later. Plus, the winds were quite strong, giving me a great tailwind in the middle of my run, but provided me with a strong headwind challenging me down the final stretch. I did not take note of my 5k time on this run, partly because I was not focused on my 5k. I was going for 4 miles and I was trying to pay more attention to GARMIN and my pacing. One of my goals on this run was to try and smooth out my pacing. Checking on the computer post-run it appears that I did do a better job with that. Once again, I traversed the asphalt, concrete and roadside dirt along the route, doing the series of runs along the way. At times I felt I was laboring more than I had the previous run. In the begining I had the same tiredness felt in the shins and as before it disappeared and I felt I could keep on going. Overall, the run felt great.

Checking with GARMIN I realize I have messed up my times over the past few posts. The correct times are as follows:
Sunday, 4.01 miles, 58:20 (5k time was 48:26)
Tuesday, 3.32 miles, 48:02 (this 5k time was 45:15)
Thursday, 4.31 miles, 1:01:16 (5k time was not noted)
One great thing with GARMIN is the ability to check your history. In doing so I am able to see my overall pacing has improved with each run. Sunday's overall pace was 14:33, Tueaday's was 14:28, and what may help explain the additional laboring on Thursday is the pace of 14:12.