Third Time Lucky

The Stats 7/22/12 - 7/28/12
7/24/12: 4.79 mi; 38'01"; 7'56" avg. pace
7/26/12: 3.00 mi; 27'40"; 9'12" avg. pace
7/28/12: 2.87 mi; 20'40"; 7'11" avg. pace

Well it felt extremely good to get out three times in a week again. I feel like that has been my baseline activity for running since 2009. That trend was interrupted for basically the entire month of June and most of July. Furthermore, all the runs were all pain free, though not free from the scorching heat. Tuesday's run was an attempt at hitting up a 10k. That distance proved elusive and I settled for a bit short of five miles. Energized by a lack of pain, I started at a pace in the low 7 minutes per mile. That turned into 8 minute miles on the third and fourth mile. I became sluggish, even on my flat neighborhood course, and figured walking out a cool down would leave open the rest of the week to training.
The recovery from Tuesday's run went well and left me ready to head out again Thursday evening. I met up with a friend, and her boyfriend's dog, for a run along the Kanawha. It was in the mid-to-upper 90s, temperature wise, so this run could was only going to last so long. I got in a little stair work, running up the steps between the two levels on the boulevard. Sometimes you have to make sure you can still climb. 10k organizers love to through hill sections into their routes. The dog needed periodic breaks in the river (and multiple pee stops), but easily outpaced us when running. Even at a more comfortable 9 minute mile pace, I was ready to shut it down after hitting 3 miles.
Coming back out Saturday morning was what capped this off as a good week in running. I needed some energy to get ready for a good friend's wedding later that evening. Although a touch shy of 3 miles, I kept a good pace around the 'hood in my new Newton's. The first mile clocked in at 6'55". I fell off slightly to 7'10" in the second mile, and the third would have been in the low to mid 7 minute range had I finished it. I attribute this boost in pace to significantly cooler weather. Still, it makes me feel like I can handle the Capital City Challenge and Pittsburgh Great Race, which are lurking around the corner in September. One month of training, a few more 10ks, a handful of rides, and perhaps a kayak outing in August will set the stage. Bring it!