Week 6 GTD Run - Start to Tennis Courts

In my last post, I wrote about this week's GTD run.  With the Memorial Day holiday, we ran Tuesday this week.  It was nice to have the extra rest day.

Tuesday evening was a bit on the warm side, about 81 degrees at the start.  I have been worried about the first 4 miles of the Boilermaker course since the beginning of the GTD program.  There I was finally facing it.  I have been running fairly well (for me) over the past week.  I have managed to run the entire distance for each outing in Week 5.

Up until this point, I have accepted the fact that I would likely need to walk up the hill at Valley View but, that I would try to run the first 3 miles up to that point.  So, even though I would have liked to keep my "no-walking" streak going, I was resigned to the idea that I may need to walk up at least a portion of that last hill.

More than 1/2 the Boilermaker!

Even though I do leave 15-20 minutes ahead of most of the group, I am become accustomed to having them all pass me, usually by the halfway point in the run.  Each time out, I hope to make it a little further before I start seeing the pack pass me by.  The last time we ran from the Starting line, most of the group had reached me by the 2-mile mark.  So on Tuesday when I went past 2 miles and had not really had anybody speed by, I was encouraged.  In fact, I nearly made it to the bottom of Valley View before they started coming!

Maybe I could do this!  No walking, I was determined to make it to the end and keep my streak alive. Before leaving the house, I told my son that I was running for him; I was dressed all in red - his favorite color.  So for him, as I turned the corner at the bottom of Valley View Road I decided that I would run up that hill before me and down the other side to the end.  I did!

I knew the view from the parking area at the top was beautiful but, it has never been so amazing as it was after running uphill for 4 miles to get there.  What a feeling to throw my arms in the air and marvel at the view and the sense of accomplisment for making it to that point.  From there it was about a mile downhill to the tennis courts.  Although tired, I finished feeling that I could have continued on.  Imagine that...