Saturday, July 13, 2013

Kona Training Day 6: Insanity on Saturday

Rain today.  Again. Evidently, the earth has shifted its crust and Greenville is now located precisely at the exact latitude and longitude as Seattle used to be.  I sure hope the good farming community of Ghana figures out their new home, in what used to be Eastern Carolina, is perfect for growing tobacco and cotton.


So, with that, I elected to swap my long ride and run that normally happens on Saturday with the long run from Sunday, in hopes that tomorrow will be better weather for a few hours on the bike.  Since I'm just back from a long break from running and the ramp up in mileage has just begun, it was just a 10 miler.  But as the weeks progress this run will turn into anything up to 22 miles.  Richter Kid ain't ready for dat yet.

I chose a course that went out 5 miles and back.  I wanted to simulate the first 10 miles of the Kona marathon that goes up Ali'i Drive and back before heading up the hill and out towards the Energy Lab.  I like to place my thoughts on race day while I run and go through every possible scenario that could unfold during the big day.  Is Dave's super runner-friend Eric eating chunks of time on me with some 7 minute miles?  Have I made up the gap to the pros, now with a 10 minute lead for first, and caught up to Marino Van Hoenocker telling him, "Come on, dude.  Don't crack on me again now.  Let's run this thing together!  Cowboy up!"?  Is Lindsay Corbin stopping to wait for me, pleading that I'm her hunk of sweaty manliness she's dreamed of (This one's got some truth to it.  Seriously, Lindsay, stop calling me.  I'm happily married and I've changed my number twice now.  There's another Richter Kid out there for you somewhere.  Buck up, cowgirl.)  Or am I just coming to, thinking, "Man, this asphalt is hot!" when I open my eyes to find eighty-something year old Sister Madonna Buder's open mouth locked onto mine, resuscitating me back to consciousness?  Such exciting possibilities!!!!

But it was a far less eventful 10 miles than what existed in my melon.  With 80 degree temps and 85% humidity, I was soaked in sweat by the first mile and by the last it sounded like I had a squishy wet tampon in my shoe.  I was ticking over 8 minute miles, which is pretty conservative, but just like they say to do on Ali'i Drive I wanted to run patient, take it easy today, and press the pace when I get further into my training.

I still had a good negative split when I got to Palani Hill.....I mean, when I got home.  I sped up steadily the last 5 miles and finished the last one at a 7:15 pace.  Total time was 1:18.43.  There is work to do, but time to do it!

After the run I did the Ab Ripper X routine, cuz my 6 pack is in there somewhere and if I don't find them soon I'm gonna have to send in the Chilean mining rescuers to excavate them out.

After the run we had lunch at Sakura, our usual go-to lunch hangout.  Before I could even decide what I wanted to order, Kwan (the owner) yelled at me, "Bun!  You eat Bun!  I make special one for you not have so many noodle and more meat.  You no have choice!"  She's taking my Ironman training seriously too it seems!

Special Bun with extra meat and skimpy on the noodles.  Ha!

This afternoon I added a 20 minute session of yoga out on the back patio.  I didn't feel like I had done enough, and the stretching is good for me.

I hope to get my ride in tomorrow that I missed out on today.....or I'm gonna be a little bit grumpy.

Total training hours today: 1.83

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