Welcome back Crim Runners! Glad to see you have survived the first 7 miles! Today I guide you along mile 8, a beautiful stretch of the course that includes many more wonderful homes, wide views, some shade, and oh, those curves with “gently rolling” hills. I hope you enjoy this mile too!
Mile 8
Yes, mile 7 might have felt short as hopefully you have been able to pick up your pace again as the course is flat to downhill. There are two immediate tangents to pay close attention too immediately following this turn. Along scenic Parkside you will receive encouragement from a high school band and cheer team may get your juices jumping a bit but you still need to pay attention to the curves of the tangents, work the hills (they are all short so run hard and get them over with!) and stride down the hills when given the opportunity.
There are many twists and turns along the last half of this mile that prevent you from seeing too far ahead. The result is you may think you only have one more bend in the road when in fact another bend and another hill await you. Your pace is likely slower than a few miles ago so your brain teases you by making you think the route is longer and harder. Remember, a mile is a mile.
As you approach the end of mile 8 there is a large house on the right, you are on a shaded part of the route, and there will likely be a hose spraying water for you to run through. There is another very mild hill to get over and again, your mind begins to play tricks on you. Be mentally tough, don’t slow down, plow through this point and turn the corner onto Miller Rd. only two more miles to race!
However, sneaky mile 8 decides to jump up and steal it all back again! Enjoy this stretch of road for as you turn right onto Court St, you will be likely be greeted by sunshine with the resulting hot pavement. The sun, the heat from the pavement, the vast width of the road, your tired legs, all combine to make this part of the route this writer’s least favorite. The best part of mile 8 is completing it, for now there are only 2 more miles to race!
Thanks for following me along this long. Come back tomorrow as we prepare for the final push to the finish line!
Coach Lee
PS: Please cruise through the other parts of The Running Architect website while here too!
Thanks :)