There are plenty of chances to get your week started off right tomorrow morning at #F3Fireball. If you have been following along with Myrtle Beach training, the schedule calls for a 9 mile tempo run. Be careful with this and any other routes that leave BRP heading left (up the hill, towards the railroad crossing). When I was at the park with the 2.0s today I noticed that stretch of sidewalk was still covered in snow, meaning that it could refreeze tonight. I would also advise caution during the final mile on the greenway. You may consider taking the re-routed Robert Walker Rd. as an alternate.
If you're looking for a little less mileage or your're pressed for time, then join us for the standard 6 miles. And no, this isn't the route that most of you are used to, but with the greenways around Davidson still a little dicey, this alternate 6 mile loop promises to be safer and avoid any remaining ice and snow.
I'm sure that most of you are wondering what time the fun starts tomorrow. Well, that depends on you. Based on a 9 minute per mile pace and including a slow warm up and cool down mile, the 9 mile tempo option requires a 4:30 start to be finished by 6:15. If your pace is closer to 7:00 per mile then you can get away with a 4:50 start. Paces between 9 minutes and 7 minutes fall somewhere in between. Adjust accordingly.
Similarly, if you're averaging 9:00 per mile and want to run the 6 mile loop, then a 5:15 start is in order. 7:00 per mile and you can sleep in and take off at 5:30. Enjoy.
In closing, if you are training for Myrtle Beach but finding that these 9 mile tempo runs are too tough to fit in to your normal Monday schedule (and I ansolutely understand not wanting to run at 4:30am), then consider running one of these shorter versions with the goal of logging a solid hour of running at marathon pace. The 9 mile route is ideal, but sometimes life calls for a little less. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that this is all or nothing. Something… anything, always trumps doing nothing.
8 Mile Tempo (10 with warm up and cool down)
7 Mile Tempo (9 with warm up and cool down)
6 Mile Tempo (8 with warm up and cool down)