April 21st, 2009 - Free Run road run in Cozumel

Well, I decided that I would run on vacation or any lengthy trip a while ago and this was to be no exception.  The fact that Haylie is getting us up most mornings by 6 or 6:30 seemed a good thing in this case.  I woke up a little after 6 and decided it was time to get my first run in since I shut it down due to knee pain last Thursday.

The fitness center at the hotel doesn't open until 7!  So, despite the fact that I really was supposed to be doing threshold training, I couldn't keep my pace at a point where I could do that without a treadmill.  So, instead I headed to the front door of the resort and decided I'd have a road run.  This year would be different, though as I have my foot pod now and when I did the run the last time, I had no clue how long the run actually was.  Estimates from the hotel staff swung wildly and I decided no one really knew the distance, only knowing the time and considering it the distance.  Off I went, mildly worried since I've been polluting my body with bad food, cheap beer and cuban cigars!  Add in that I had no idea if my knees were ready or if my blistered feet would cope with the tape job and this had all the makings of a disastrous run.

I don't know enough about road running to understand the impact of being at sea level, but I definitely know that it was HUMID!  And, there was a reasonably stiff breeze the whole time.  I took a couple of lap timers just to get a sense of the distance in case Colleen wanted to do the run herself.  To the air guard base was 2.56 miles.  To the museum was 3.1 and to the main pier it was 3.3 miles.  Not bad actually.

Housekeeping:  6.62 miles in 59 minutes, an average of 8:56 per mile.  742 calories burned.  No, not one of my best, but I ran an hour and that said plenty.  I was pain free at the end, and that said even more.  I'll get in my three runs this week no matter what now.  I was pretty pleased.

Since this was a road run, I chose my metal playlist.  Yes, I'm a head banger and having Metallica, Motorhead, Black Sabbath and Slayer pounding in my ears always manages to push me further.  At one point, Motorhead came on and I felt an adrenalin rush and looked down and my pace had quickened to over 8.5 miles per hour.  Since that was almost at the end, I considered it pretty good.  The Ace of Spades!  Who would win in a fight?  Lemmy or God?  BUZZ!  It's a trick question, Lemmy is God!  Thanks to 'Airheads' for that little pop culture rip off. ;-)

Cheers!