nOg Run Club: Post 10k 3 miler -- 11/15

This run was in doubt for most of the day.  I felt like doodie all day yesterday after the 10k.  My quads were sore, and I had a pretty bad headache, both of which continued into this morning.  The quads were to be expected, but I am not sure if the headache was a result of dehydration or just from pounding along the street.  Either way, it didn't really matter, the point is this morning when I spoke with Hiro I told her that there was no way that I was going to Tir Na Nog Run Club tonight.  However, when I called her at 4pm, I asked her if she want to go.  I expected her to say no, but she said that she wanted to go.  So, of course we went.

We decided to do the three mile route, and we met up with Audrey, Henry and his wife from the Thursday night's Fleet Feet Running Group, I introduced them to Hiroko, who Audrey had read about on my Blog (on a side note Hiroko and I bumped into another member of last Thursday's Group on Saturday when we took out kitten to the vet).  Tonight, we talked for a bit before the run kicked off about yesterday's 10k, cold weather, and The Krispy Kreme Challenge, which we are all planning to enter next year. 

The Tir Na nOg Pub in downtown Raleigh

Our chat was short because the run was kicking off, and this run had well over a 100 members, so we just got swept away.  Hiro and I stuck together for the first mile.  I was shocked by how well my legs felt.  My Quads were still sore, but they were not holding me back at all.  In fact, I think that I flet a little better over the the course of this run than I did yesterday.  I think that I am going to run a little the day before my next race and see if it helps.  I  always seem to run better on the second day of running.  The night was nice and warm, but it was much darker than the previous times that we attended, so our blinky lights came in handy.  After the first mile I started to pull away from the group of runners that we were running with.  Hiroko stuck with me, but as we made the turn near Oakwood Cemetery, she said that she had a pain in her side.  However, she is so competitive that she still passed me two more time during the second mile!!

I picked up the pace right as I passed by this tree.

But, by the beginning of mile 3, I pulled away.  Once we got near the North Carolina State Capitol, I started to open up my stride.  Upon passing in front of the Capitol Building, I really picked up the pace.  The last mile was by far my strongest mile.  It wasn't an all out sprint like that last two tenths of a mile were yesterday, but I was in the last gear before it.  I felt really strong all the way back to the the pub.  And, I am sure that I finished the run in under 26 minutes, which would be a PR for me, but alas . . . No garmin to be sure of it, nor was it a race day . . . so oh well!  After the run, we chatted with a guy, who had also run the 10k the day before.  Hiro remembered him because he had worn a kilt, which he said he was required to do in order to join a local running club out of Fleet Feet.  I think that I might be getting sized for a kilt soon!  After chatting for a while, we enjoyed some $1 pasta, which I enjoyed a lot more than last time.  We saw Audry once again and she introduced us to her husband, Victor.  Hiroko and I were both really glad that we went tonight, but she was a little disappointed that she couldn't beat me.  Hiro thought that since I ran a 10k yesterday that she would have no problem beating me; I didn't either!  However, I seem to be getting a lot stronger than I thought.  Also, I am really glad that I am starting to meet lots of new people, who share my passion for running!