Pere Marquette training run

I just returned from a training run with a group from the triathlon club. I took it relatively easy on a 7 plus mile hilly course at Pere Marquette Park in Grafton Illinois. I ran this same course last month for the first time and went out way too fast trying to keep up with runners who were faster than me for the first two miles or so and then died when the course kept ascending. This time I knew what to expect and decided to run my own pace which usually works out better for me anyway. I actually kept pace pretty well with another runner from the group named Ty. He is actually running in the Honolulu marathon next month too so I am curious to see how our times compare since I have run a few shorter races with him and our times are always pretty close. It wouldn't surprise me to see either of us catch the other one in the last mile and have our own dual in the sun to the finish.

Someone said the Pere Marquette trails encompasses about 3,000 vertical feet of rise which sounds daunting but I had hoped to get up early and run it once before the group arrived for a total of 14 miles. Alas, I turned off the alarm and got up late so I had to settle for one loop of 7 plus miles. Still, that is 7 more miles than most people ran today.

After the run the group headed over to Fast Eddies in Alton Illinois for super cheap food and drinks. The club was paying for the meal so I had a couple of brats and some shrimp. Free food is always nice and the conversations were good too. Everyone in the group is wishing they were going to Hawaii to run the marathon, and while I look forward to the trip I am still bummed I will be missing the 64/40 highway races on December 14th. There is a road race for runners that morning on the newly rebuilt highway section on a portion of the highway as well as a bike time trial on the Sunday before the highway reopens to traffic Monday. Still, the project is not finished and I am hopeful another similar race will be scheduled when the second half of the project is nearing completion.

There is a cyclocross race this evening at Creve Couer park and I have tentative plans to go watch. I secretly harbor thoughts of racing but the weather is quite cold---I think I saw a 27 degrees flashing on a bank sign on the way out to the run this morning so the idea of biking in this weather is not compelling--it is colder biking since you are traveling at a faster pace plus it is right by the lake which enhances the wind chill. Plus, Jason (club president) mentioned that the weather was suppose to turn warm and reach the 60's by tomorrow when a second cyclocross race is scheduled so I will probably wait and run the race tomorrow morning before riding in the bike race. Or not. I haven't decided whether it is ok to race with my mountain bike. Stay tuned.