Glacial Speed Running

I know there's a running group out there called "Snail's Pace."  I wonder if there is one called "Glacier's Pace."  If not, I really should start one as the past 3 runs seemed to have earned me the head of this group.  

The days have been warm the past 3 runs.  Sunday was a long run (20 mi Tour de San Diego Garmin Stats); the longest run we've gone on since the SD RnR at the beginning of June.  We started later that we had anticipated (10am instead of 8am) and spent WAY too out there.  I had anticipated a long day (lots of stopping to rest), but did not think that my legs would feel extremely tired by the end of the run.  The route was not that hilly, but when it was, there were some pretty challenging hills (ie going through Point Loma Nazerine). The last few miles of that course led us up 6th Ave which is pretty wicked after 16+ mi of running.  We made it through, slowly, but surely.

Took a 3 day hiatus from running (not really planned, no excuses really) and went for a medium run yesterday after work.  8 mi run down Pershing Dr. and through Balboa Park proved to be another hot and challenging run for me.  Legs were feeling heavy and uncooperative.  I knew it had to get done though and didn't mind too much that it was slow, I was just happy that I finally got my butt out there after 3 days of not running.  Surprisingly, I still felt I had the energy to go to the gym.

I woke up this morning with surprisingly sore/tired legs.  I had done that 8 mi route before, so I wasn't expecting my legs to be feeling so lethargic.  It didn't bode very well for the 5 mi run today (5 mi run - Balboa park Garmin stats).  Tired legs + warm morning = glacial speeds.  I had to stop a few times along the run today, partly to let my legs rest for a bit and also because Lilo kept plopping down whenever there was cool concrete in the shade.

Lilo after our 5 mi run today

I'm a little disappointed with the less than stellar speeds I have been running, but I also realize that I have been doing a lot of running since November really (I may have run 3 marathons for 2011, but I have run 4 within 8 months).  Next  year, I'm going to cut down the number of marathons to 2 at most because I'd really like to train and get that sub 4 marathon that I had been striving to achieve since forever.  Maybe even throw a triathlon in there. =)