A couple pleasant runs

Somewhere off River Road near Wilmington, NC
 

Friday ran 11+ miles in the Shallotte vicinity . Came up with a new route which took me out the back way of my Dad's neighborhood, then to the Copas Road loop. Added in the mile or so long nature walk along the small lake which borders a golf course about a mile or so from the Atlantic Inter-coastal Waterway. Looked for gators as I ran beside the waters, but figured they are all buried under mud and hibernating at this time of year. I'll see a few of them I imagine again next summer. Did startle a few ducks.

Stayed mostly off to the side of the road in the grass/ mud as I am wont to do on the country roads I run near my Dads. Easier on the legs as I've written about, and it's easier to avoid become a tragic causality of traffic, which tends to sail especially along Copas Road.

Started out a fairly benign and comfortable pace, before winding it down into the mid 7s/ mile range consistently after the 1st 3 miles. Felt much better than I did Wednesday, both physically and mentally. Enjoyed the challenge of maintaining the effort and pace as the miles ticked off one after the other through the slightly rolling countryside. Finished fairly strong at a mid/ hi 6 min/ mile pace the past quarter to half mile.

Saturday morning met up with my Cape Fear Flyers clan (see picture above) to run on some new trails (on and off road) that my fellow coach and friend Peyton recently discovered. Got close to 6 miles in on a chillier, raw morning. Ran the last 2 with Riley, and helped her achieve a PR for the longest distance she had ever run. She was thrilled, and I was happy for her... and felt like I was right where I was supposed to be running wise at that given moment in time.

Sunday and heavy rains/ wind swept in from off the coast, forcing me to cancel my weekly long run with Amie. One of the good things is when as a runner I'm not on a specific schedule, training for an upcoming long race like a marathon.  And can afford to ditch a workout due to circumstances beyond my control, such as the weather.

Plan to head north up to the homestead in Pennsylvania Monday. Run wise looking forward to traipsing the well shod grounds I have become so infinitely familiar with again the past several years. Hitting the hills while bundling up in the cold. Revisiting other places on foot like the towpath that I've run/ walked/ fished along since I was a young kid. Places that are much more than pieces of land... they get inside of us and become pieces of our running souls.

Until then-