my dam hill report...

there's this workout that our club does twice a year. once in april, once in august.

it's called the dam hill as we start out running a 5.5 mile warm up from the ford parkway bridge in st paul down to lake street, cross and come back, and finish up on the mpls side by the dam near the ford plant.

it's traditionally an 'all club' run, which means most local lifetime fitness run clubs are invited to take part.

turnout this time around wasn't quite as strong as april, but still about 75 folks turned out (or so i think)...

i got to the gym. looked around. saw one of my club members. coach was part of the whole lead-the-workout shebang so she didn't run the whole thing. where is the rest of my team?!?!? my confidence when it comes to running solo ain't the greatest. so i hooked up with cindy, and then in walks allison huzzah! 2 other roseville runners!

allison then tells me pretty immediately that carmen the garmin had died on the way over :( this is a big deal to those of us attached strongly to our running technology. it's like a limb is missing.... and like a security blanket, something you learn to love and depend on....

so here i was with mine and i was able to give allison most of her times throughout our run together. this nifty piece of technology breaks down each mile and averages the pace and then gives a lovely total at the end. so our times looked like this:
mile 1: 10:51
mile 2: 10:32
mile 3: 8:53 (sorry to be so personal, but i had to biffy stop so i hauled to catch up!)
mile 4: 9:50
mile 5: 9:52
dam hill starts about mile 5.5
mile 6: 10:53
mile 7: 11:22
mile 8: 12:48 (serious things like running backwards uphill, hands above your head uphill, hands behind your back uphill....it's *hard* but totally effective!!)
mile 9: 11:34
mile 10: 11:51 (back to the gym)
total: 1:50:23, 10.13 miles

allison went 5.5 miles back after the workout...me? just 1 mile. allison has finished a marathon. i have not. (yet????) allison is one of my superhero teammates and friends (as is cindy who i will become an iron girl with in september!) that make life so much better.

speaking of iron girl, i biked it in today to work. then i will bike it to the gym. run 5-7 miles. then bike it back home. and my garmin's at 50% battery. hope Jorge lasts through the day (yes most of us have named our toys.. ~jd

ps can i just tell you the high i get from either a new people weekly or runners world magazine in my mailbox???? my drugs of choice i tell you :) got the new RW yesterday and had to pry myself away from it to get to work! we get to cuddle up together at lunch today. sweetness~