The Creature from the Black Lagoon

Tempo run today.  The "Dreaded Eight Mile Tempo" or DEMT to be exact.  This is the nickname for this workout given by the followers of the F.I.R.S.T. training plan.  The DEMT is meant to be run at a pace that is slightly slower than your 10K pace.  For me, the goal tempo was about 8:30 min/mile.

Normally, you want to run a warm up mile before hitting your tempo pace, but today was an exception for me.  Even though the calendar says mid-May, we are having a little reoccurence of winter.  It was pouring rain and cold!  So I thought I might warm up faster by running faster.  I had chosen the dirt trail around part of Paradise Lake as my route today.  For the first couple of miles I managed to dodge the worst of the puddles, but by the time I hit mid-way it was a lost cause.  My shoes and socks were soaked, and I was spraying myself with mud with every step.

By the time I was done, I looked like the Creature from the Black Lagoon. 

Shorts Weather Has Come To Northern California

Get out your sunglasses folks, I'm wearing shorts!

Yes, after a really long patch of wintery weather, spring weather has arrived in Northern California.  Today called for 9 miles of General Aerobic (I know what you're thinking, the it was Colonel Aerobic last time you checked--well he's been promoted.

General Aerobic is Pfitzinger's term for pretty much easy running 15-20% slower that goal marathon pace. 

Out to Paradise Lake I go just daring the sun to darken my mighty white legs.

Had a nice run around the lake.  The trail is an out and back on the right (east) side of the lake.  It works out to a 9.35 mile run--perfect.

I enjoyed the trail today, even managed to keep my feet mostly dry.  No snow on the trail anymore, but there are still some very ambitious puddles (think 30-40 feet long and covereing the width of the trail). 

I did pick up a little friend on the run.  When I got in the car to head home, I looked down to find a tick taking a bite out of crime on my leg.  Fortunately, it hadn't had a chance to get embedded yeet, so I was able to pull it off with relative ease.  (Note to self--add tick repellant to the running gear).  I think it saw my bright white legs and thought it was the promised land. 

The 15 Miler

I shook the magic eight ball and asked it what my long run was supposed to be for this weekend.  The little dice thingy floated to the window and said, "Run 15 miles." 

I've been saving a run out to Paradise Lake for just his distance.  I checked it on MapMyRun and it's just right.  The run is mostly an out and back, but I managed to put a loop in the middle 5 miles for variety's sake.  Two miles of the route are on the dirt trail around a portion of the lake.  Added bonus:  port-a-john's at the lake. 

Down side:  Bears, but then that might just improve my time for the run.