Training for the California International marathon on Sundays offers one unforeseen gem, hidden deep in the heart of autumn: it's an extra hour's sleep, once daylight savings ends, before the longest training run. Last night we made preparations for the big sleep-a-bration by gallivanting through the house and rewinding time. We set off for bed, relishing in the thought of added REM before embarking on our greatest distance.
Turns out our alarm clock, a sorcerer of grand futuristic wizardry, already possessed the internal programming to set itself. Thus, in a groggy haze--the gurgling coffee pot behind me and the boiling pot of oatmeal before me--I glanced at the clock and realized it was actually 6:30, not our ritualistic 5:30. This meant we'd need to eat and ready, forgo digestion, and get to Howe Avenue in a mere thirty minutes!
Undaunted, we arrived in time to join the tail end of our group as they strode into the morning. And though there's a certain degree of comedy, and a bit shame, in the way it all started, the run itself went well enough. The intermittent rain came down heavily at times. The American River Parkway offered one bird bath after another for bodies to dodge. My left orthodic bunched beneath my foot for the better part of twelve miles, necessitating two stops and thoughts of just push through it, right? Right? My training mate stopped three times for various reasons. All told, we ran off and on for nearly three hours.
Next week marks the beginning of our tapering. We run 16 miles--13 at our marathon pace. After that the mileage falls until December 5.
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