With four weeks and one day to go until the Chicago Half Marathon, it's time to step up the mileage. Our training schedule calls for long runs on Saturday mornings, so I crawled out of bed at 6:00 a.m. this morning to join my colleagues Caroline, Michaele, and Shenoa (pictured at left) for a run on the High Line Canal trail in southern Denver. The weather was perfect -- sunny and about 70 degrees.My goal for the Chicago Half Marathon is to finish under two hours -- right around 9:00/mile. I averaged 9:34/mile today over 11 miles, right about where I wanted to be today. I still have some work to do to meet my goal, but considering that today's run was at elevation (about 5,500 ft above sea level) and the average in Chicago is 579 ft. (577 along lake shore, where the Chicago Half takes place), I think I'm in good shape.
The High Line Canal trail is a gravel trail that stretches for 60 miles from Douglas County in southwest Denver to the Green Valley Ranch area in extreme Northeast Denver. It's a great place to do our long distance runs.This week I'll be traveling to Washington, D.C., where I hope to get in an early morning run around the Capitol Mall, and Chicago, where I plan to run part of the Chicago Half route!
Keep on running!
Daren
I know, I know, this was an old post of yours!
ReplyDeleteI am running the Highline Canal 10K Run this Saturday. I ran the 5K last year. So, I goggled it and came up with your blog.
I am also signed up for the Chicago Marathon this year (2008).
How did you do in both? You seem to be much faster than am I...