Brian Thomas Holiday Marathon #2

Thanks to the semester winding down and a weekend visit from Grammy, I had a great 40 mile running week. Average pace was only 10:20/mile, but that was largely because I ran another personal marathon on Saturday. I ran the route unsupported and without stopping at home (except after mile 3 to drop off the dog) through weather that stayed in the mid-20s. I figured it would be good preparation for the Fat Ass at the end of the month. I tested out the Nathan HPL 020 2.0L Race Vest, which Dave and Lauren got me for graduation. I must say that it was way more comfortable than my other hydration packs (a Camelback and a Jansport) and the front pockets were a big plus. I filled the hydration pack with Gatorade and cut a couple Cliff bars into bite size chunks, which I kept in the front pockets. I had to keep the valve to the hydration pack inside my vest otherwise it kept freezing shut, but this wasn't a problem. Other then that the cold wasn't a significant problem; I think I much prefer it to the heat and humidity. I made the wise decision to put on a second pair of socks when I dropped off the dog and I still need to get a warmer pair of gloves, but everything went very smoothly. Total run time was 4:31. That's not my fastest time, but it had me confident I'm still holding on to enough conditioning for the Fat Ass 50 mile. If that goes well (and we'll see as the hills at Pinkney always cause me trouble), I'll feel set to pick out a 100 miler for 2008.

I just wish that Scott Sigler would put out chapters of his new novel more quickly as I keep running out of things to listen to on my runs!