20 myles - 2.32:56

High Line Canal/Chatfield - 11:00 A.M.
20s, clear, 4 more inches of fresh pow-pow
mind/body - good/feeling fast
Hard Effort

Prescribed: 1.15 easy pace (7:05) followed by 1.20 at marathon pace (mp) (6:15)

Actual: 9 myles - 1.18 easy pace (8:40) followed by 9 myles - 57:36 mp (6:24) followed by 15 minutes cool down

Defeated by the snow - again.

I started out at Chatfield going North on the High Line canal to C470, much more snow than a couple days ago - probably 4 more inches on top of the 3 before. Although there were tracks this time - I would much rather no tracks because at least it's smooth with less slipping. Because of the snow I had a very slow pace. I was hoping the loop around Chatfield would be somewhat free of snow... not so.

I had planned on doing 13 myles at mp around Chatfield, just extending my 9 mile loop by doing a two mile double back - didn't quite work out that way. The dam had the most snow on it with snow drifts everywhere - my first two mile split was 14:08 - damn! The faster I tried to go the more I was spinning the wheels. Worked over I got to the road, which was snow packed/icy. I felt fast but I wasn't fast - does that count? There was a four mile stretch that had some asphalt showing in which I clocked a 25:02/6:15 pace and felt good. But that was it. By the time I got around to mile 9 on the loop, the snow got deep again. I finished on a 15 minute cool down doing 10 second leg pick-ups just to round out the 20 myles.

This week I was 'supposed' to dial in the mp but I think I'm further away from knowing than when the week started. Conditions were less than ideal but my perceived effort has gotta be worth something - doesn't it? If anything the run today showed me I can run a 6:15 pace feeling good 2 hours into a run.