Home Ten -- Sat. November 1

Balmy couple of days after some colder ones, and *finally* a chance to get out again, so I decided to get some proper miles on. Aiming for 7-8 or a bit more, I took off around 11 and quickly found I didn't need an extra top on. Wanted to keep the pace slow, so took to the trails right off Austin Gaughan, instead of going along Hamilton; then out onto Hamilton, down to Allen and up over 9 and on to Enfield, then left right down to the Quabbin, round the loop at the water and back -- happy I was carrying a good bottle of water now -- then left on to Earley, figuring to head to the State Police station then back along the road. Went fine for a good while, but then, coming out on to Warner, I hit people and vans and wheelchairs: a hunting session for paraplegics, arranged by thoughtful MassWildlife. I'd run through one hunting zone, evidently. Gah. The officious woman wouldn't let me go on (more hunting there) and had no real advice as to how to go back, but I turned and took off before she could come up with something else. Instead of following Earley, I went up Warner, a long winding road that eventually took me back to 9, which I then followed all the way home. Quite a nice route, even if not what I'd intended: worth trying to do it the other way round as well. Here's the details:

Time: 1:15:04
Distance: 10.02 miles
Speed: 8.01

Comments: a good wakeup run to get me back to distance. Stopped as soon as clock hit 10, so then jogged home from supermarket. Deliberately slow first few miles, aiming at 7:45s: after slower miles (a couple of 8s) I did faster ones to catch up (7:30s and 7:15s). Fairly happy with the control of pace, though overall I sped up a bit too much; still it's easier to try this when you're running well inside your limits. One week till the Monson Half. No time to really prepare, but I'm cautiously optimistic my base condition is good enough. We'll see