I unceremoniously took out the xpand-laces from my shoes and relaced ’em very loosely for this run. Goal for today was to take it easy. Isn’t that always my goal?
Donned my one running tank-top and stepped out into unseasonably cold air. Actually, it was the usual Seattle temperature, a break from the heat wave we’d been having. But I didn’t go back and change shirts. It wasn’t *that* cold.
Walked up to 1st avenue and Roosevelt before starting, heading north. My shoes kind of flopped on my heals, and I purposefully allowed my feet to roll with some exaggerated pronation, all to avoid cramps. Spoiler alert: it worked.
Crossed 145th street, with a small pause waiting for the light, and then the drop towards 155th. Mile one a little before the left turn, next to Twin Ponds Park; 9:26 although moving pace was obviously faster.
155th street is flat until Meridian, and then really jumps up at Wallingford. The next two block, before the right turn on Ashworth, are very steep, but having run Maple Leaf four times in a row, it was a piece of cake. A stale piece of cake, but cake nonetheless. Paced stayed in the slow 9s.
Ashworth keeps going up, but just barely. Mile 2 was a little before 165th street, a 9:21. “Faster” (if you count the pause) than mile 1, how about that? The “climb” levelled off, and then a left turn on 175th where it jumps up again a bit. Passed the new Trader Joe’s, then a left onto the Interurban Trail and a long descent. Mile 3 ahead of 167th street, next to the cemetery. 9:04, and no leg pain at all.
There’s a short “segment” between 167th and 165th, and I was feeling good, so I went for it, getting my pace up and peaking at a 5:44. Achieved my 4th best time ever, 46 seconds; (my best is 39 seconds).
Continued on the Interurban. There’s a portion where it goes up to a pedestrian walkway across Aurora, then down, the up again for another walkway across 155th. I think the GPS gets a little confused here, because although it traces the route accurately, I think it fudges on the moving distance. It has me dropping to a low speed of 11:02 per mile on a downhill portion. I’m being too picky, I now– over the long run (pun!) I’m sure the reported average pace is close to correct.
Still, when I hit mile 4 as I climbed up from 155th toward 145th, and my watch said 9:11, it was a little deflating. That pace is a good one for me, but considering the little fartlek I’d had, and that mile 4 was mostly downhill anyway, I think my real pace was faster.
Anyway, moving on (another pun. Sort of). Crossed 145th, almost got hit by a car that thought the red octagon sign said “slow down but keep moving” instead of “stop,” and kept on going. A left turn on 137th, a nice and clear Aurora to cross, and a big drop down and climb back up– feeling fine, no worries at all. Mile 5 at Interlake, 9:26, but really more like 9:06 because of the pause for the jerk who almost hit me.
A right on Ashworth, and that sweet descent. A left into the school parking lot, cutting behind the swimming pool to emerge onto 133rd. Across Meridian, a drop and a jump, across 1st avenue, and I decided to go until I hit 10k. So a left on 3rd avenue, and a final left on 135th, and then done.
Walked a few blocks and was home again. 57:04, 9:11 overall pace, and best of all: no foot pain.