Minor Setback... and a Life Lesson

So minor setback… Tuesday was my birthday and to celebrate I decided to do a longer run at my marathon pace before going for dinner and drinks with friends. The run was along the lake (my preferred path) and for a change it wasn’t too windy. The past few days on the path have been a battle against the wind on the return trip, which obviously means the trip out was a breeze with the tailwind. Back in the day during rowing practices, you would sometimes swear you were going into a headwind both ways. With running it is very clear which way the wind is blowing, so I always begin to dread that moment when I have to turn around and face that two headed, foaming at the mouth windy beast. But this time the wind was pretty tame so I decided it was time to push it and work on my technique. Marathon runners always seem to run with a short stride, and being that I am alotta leg, my stide isn’t exactly short. I relate that technique to rowing with a “poppy” feel. It’s what we used to say when we needed to be a little quicker through the water and usually used during longer races. Use a little less energy and quicken up your turnover. It makes things more efficient and allows the rower (runner) to conserve energy for the long haul. Overall the run was successful. I ran 7.66 miles at a pace of 8.6 mph (my marathon pace is 8.7) and felt like I could have gone much farther.

And here is when the “setback” began. Lets just say that what was supposed to be a quiet dinner/drinks with friends turned into a quiet dinner/drinks with friends and a night of drinks with the boss’s son. Yes life is random, actually had a random run in on the path too, and I found myself boozing with Hightower Jr (you’d get it if you knew my boss). Next day was tough, and then for 2 days after I was under the weather. So I am hitting the sack early today (Friday) and hoping to get out on the trail and in the gym tomorrow morning. I did gain 1 good bit of knowledge from my birthday night: never mix scotch, beer, vodka, beer, whiskey, and champagne… it never ends well.