Sunday, 10/23/11 Green PR

From Chautauqua
Up 3rd access/NE/Greenman
Down Greenman/NE/Saddle/Amphi
4.17 miles/2,446 vert./1:01:34 (38:50 up)/165 avg. HR Garmin Data

My legs were feeling heavy and sluggish and I was planning on taking a day off, but after leaving the office to grab some lunch and seeing what an amazingly perfect day it was, I figured I would get out for a casual hike/run on Green.

Started from Chautauqua, barely mustering up a run on the crowded and seemingly steep trail.  Once I hit the trail junction (~7 minutes even), I realized that I was moving better than I thought, just as I started to feel like I was getting into a groove and upped the tempo a bit.  ~8 at the next junction, 10 at the base of the 2nd, 20 to hit the social trail behind the 3rd and then I made good time and efficient route choices above on the way to the NE ridge.

Once I hit the NE ridge, I was able to keep a good running pace all the way to the summit, where I PR'ed for the route by 47 seconds at 38:50.

I started thinking about breaking 1:00 for the RT and even though I did not feel 100% as I started down, I figured I would fake it for as long as I could.  I was cruising fast down the NE ridge and I had the classic thought "OK, I am moving pretty decent" and then whoops, my foot slid out and I took a pretty good digger, probably the best yet, but was able to skip out of it with only minor scratches.  This stifled my confidence a bit and I had trouble regaining a good rhythm, but still made decent time.

Once on the lower part of Amphitheater, I knew there was no way I could make it back in less than 2:30, but I pushed for all I was worth anyways and clocked a 1:01:34.  Not under an hour, but I was reasonably happy all things considered and felt like I worked for it pretty hard.