First Group Run

Today was the first official group run for our training class. The temperature was -20 with a wind chill of -40 and I ran in just shorts and a t-shirt. Whaaaat? We got to run in the Fargodome!!! It was a real treat to be inside and not on a "dreadmill". We had a large turnout of about forty runners. My thanks go out to Mark Knutson for arranging this. Mark is the main man at Go Far Events (they organize the marathon) and also Go Far Sports (a running store).

I will need to work on pacing at the start of these runs. Each lap equalled 1/3 of a mile, so at my normal long run pace of 12:00/mile I should have been running a 4 minute lap. Well, the group took off at a pace way too fast for me, but I seemed to get pulled along by them. I checked my watch after the first lap and my time was 3:10. Unbelievably it took me six miles (run in 59:31) to get down to my normal pace. By then I was really having to work. Thankfully Rick Wagar pulled up beside me and we chatted about his upcoming 135 mile race in International Falls (http://www.arrowheadultra.com/index.php). It really made the last mile and a half go by quite painlessly.

After thinking about this morning's run, I believe that all of the running I've been doing in the snow has increased my speed a bit. That would explain why I didn't crash and burn after only a couple of miles this morning. That would make me very happy, although I'd rather start a lot slower and gradually increase my speed during a run.

This weeks mileage was pretty much zero except for today's run. I woke up Monday with a little touch of vertigo. I got plenty of rest, and I'm back in business.

Here are a couple of articles from Runners World magazine that include the Fargo Marathon. It's kind of neat having an event from our little town show up in the magazine.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-239-281--13777-3-1X2X3X4-5,00.html

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-239-281--13416-3-1X2X3X4X5-6,00.html



Have a great week!!