Pacing...

Yesterday Pedro and I decided to go run at Barr lake. Barr lake is about 8.8 miles around. It was 90 degrees by the time we headed out to run. This time it wasn't my fault, he wasn't "ready" to go. I had been up since 7am for swim club and a lesson.

We go to Barr lake and pay the entry fee to park and get ready to run. We decided on a direction around the lake and took off. Well, more exactly, Pedro took off. He was running way faster than I run. The first sign we passed said 7.5miles. So I assumed we were running the lake backwards and had 7.5 miles to go. There was very little shade and I was carrying my water bottle filled with my amazing nuun drink (which has prevented headaches and tastes pretty dang good).

30 minutes into the run my stupid knee started to hurt. Too bad, I thought, I am going to run the whole lake. The run was on dirt paths and for a little while thru a small track within the grass. I ran behind Pedro trying to keep up with him!

I knew he would get tired. The question was when?? At about the sign that said 4miles he started to slow a little bit. This was about when we passed a field of sunflowers where a deer was watching us run. Anyway, we got to the sign that said 3.5 and Pedro started walking. I continued on running. I stopped about a mile ahead and couldn't see him anywhere. I waited for a song on my ipod and then ran back to see if he was ok. About a quarter mile back I found him still walking. He was complaining it was HOT! Yes, I knew this. But he always tells me how much he LOVES the heat, when I am telling him how much I HATE the heat! He decides he will run with me again.

We pass mile marker sign that says 2 miles. I tell him great news only 2 miles! Though it looked really much further. Mile marker 1!!!! Keep going I say, only one mile to go! He starts walking again, with the comment that it is HOT and "one mile my ass." True, it wasn't looking like one more mile but who knows what one mile looks like??

I keep running. Mile marker 0!!! Yep, not anywhere near where we needed to be. Crap. I keep running and arrive at our car. I drink some coke and wait. Still no Pedro. I decided to go check on him and bring him a coke (he drank part of my water so he did have something to drink earlier). I find him slowly jogging. We walk back to the car. He informs me again, it wasn't him it was just HOT! Yes, yes I know this. He tells me he had a headache before he left home. I explain I am so excited because I don't have a headache (which almost ALWAYS happens in the heat) and I say the drink stuff is awesome!! He responds with "I SAID, I had a headache before I left home, it isn't the heat!" I had to inform him that I wasn't refering to his headache just excited I didn't have one!

Anyway, the 8 mile run turned out to be 9.1 miles for me, running back to find him. Probably about 8.8 miles if I didn't go back. Not sure why they have the signs out that they have, really doesn't help mentally when you are running and think you are done and realize you are not even close!

I told Pedro he needs to learn pacing. Longer runs (which this was his longest) are not done at the same pace as a 2 mile run. He proceeded to do the same thing today on the bike. He followed me out 7 miles on my wheel. I told him to slow down a bit and not try to ride so fast. We turned around and came back (mostly uphill) and he was forever behind me, again I think it is pacing.

If he gets his endurance and pacing down...he will be great to run/bike with because he is really faster than I am and makes me go A LOT faster!

Unable to walk correctly today because of knee pain. Got a massage and she also discovered the giganitic knot in my outside quad that seems to be putting pressure on my IT band...ugh.