12+ stretch -- Tue. January 22

Last whole week before classes start, so I took the plunge and went for a midweek endurance/stamina run. Quite cold, but sunny and clear; slow start to the day, for whatever reason, so it's after 11 when I get going. Head right onto the trails (from the Poulin entrance) and follow rail trail exclusively all the way to 181; mainly pretty crisp going, with ways around the smooth ice patches. Cross 181 and up Michael Sears -- really FEEL the hill there -- and on to the Cold Spring farm turning; up past there to the lane that leads back down to 181/Mill Valley. Then along as far as the Jabish canal trail, and so far so good--just keeping my 7:30 pace at the hour, I think. But the snow there is barely trodden, and proves to be heavy work. Kept at it and found a snowmobile track once I got over a fallen tree, but it slowed me; pushed on back trail all the way to Jackson, then went down towards GeoHannum, to make sure I broke 12 miles. Stopped clok at the junction, then headed back up the hill slowly; here's the detail:

Time: 1:34:14
Distance: 12.44
Speed: 7.9

Comments: this felt hard toward the end, that pain that tells me I've run longer than I'm comfortable doing. Time was I could do 12-13 with out that. Have to work back to it and then some if I'm really going to do a 30K or two. . .