First of all note the new snazzy graphic I have created for use after a run that breaks my Personal Distance Record (or PDR). This Saturday’s run was 9 miles which was farther than I have ever run in one shot so it was a PDR.

Next, note that this is a long post and you may have to read it in 4 or 5 sittings. Proceed with caution.

I decided to head down to my gym and dump my things into a locker before heading outside for my long run on Saturday morning. I put on all my gear which included three layers on the bottom – running tights, Runderwear, and running pants – and two layers on top – long-sleeve dri-fit shirt and a running jacket - and headed out the door.

Mile 1

My goal for the entire run, especially for the first few miles, was to go slow. The one thing I didn’t want to do was go out too fast and have to walk for long stretches during the run. I had some fairly fast music blaring out of my iPod but I managed to control myself during the first mile. This basically got me from the gym, across Lincoln Park, over the North Ave. Bridge and headed south along the lake. I noticed that the temperature was a little bit cold but since by the end of mile one the wind was directly at my back this was no big deal. It was nice to have the wind pushing me forward for a while.

Mile 2

This stretch basically encompassed the route from the Chess Pavilion to Oak Street beach. I’ve run this stretch of the lake many, many times by now but still love to look up at downtown while I plod on. Again during mile two I was fresh and the wind continued to push me. After mile two I took a very short water break and made good use of my CamelBak. I was following orders by keeping myself hydrated even though I wasn’t thirsty at that point.

Mile 3

Things got a little more interesting as I passed Oak Street Beach and turned south. I ran through what I can only describe as a pack of ice sitting right along the path. Since the wind was blowing very hard and it was cold enough for ice it made that part of the path (maybe 60 yards) pretty dicey. I slowed down long enough to make sure I didn’t slip and kept going.

I made it down to the next beach (whatever it is called) next to Olive Park and turned left (Northeast) down the path that runs through the park. This is where things got interesting because I was now running directly into the teeth of the wind. It was 24 degrees out with a wind chill of 14 and to me it felt like zero. My Garmin told me I was making a 10:20 pace while running out towards the lake but I was running hard. When I made it out to the end of the pier and turned around my pace quickened to 8:15 with the same effort – the wind had made that much of a difference. While I was happy to temporarily have the wind at my back again I knew I’d be running into the wind on Navy Pier, and back out where I had just run not to mention the last 2+ miles were right into the wind as well.

Mile 4

This one started with me exiting Olive Park where a small dog chased me for about 50 feet. It turns out the owner had accidentally dropped the leash but eventually got the pup back under control. I was happy it was a smaller dog and wasn’t worried about being attacked but I was trying not to step on the freezing mutt either.

I rounded the corner next to Lake Point Tower and made my way down the North side of Navy Pier. For a cold and windy day there were a number of tourists out just walking around enjoying the day. I did note there were fewer people fishing off the pier than usual and I’m sure the cold kept them away. I got a few odd looks that seemed to say ‘you are crazy for running outside today’ but I just waved and said good morning and kept going.

I finished mile 4 about halfway back down the South side of the pier.

Mile 5

This was my turnaround mile. I made it to the base of Navy Pier and rounded the drive there to make it to the 4.5 mile halfway point of my run. I was fairly cold by then and my gloves and hat were wet with sweat which just made them feel colder. I took another quick water break and started to retrace my steps.

Mile 6

During mile six I made my way back out to the tip of Navy Pier and back one more time and out into Olive Park a second time. This time the little dog, and his owner, were nowhere in sight which was a plus. Again I stepped into the wind tunnel that was the path out to the lake and again my pace dropped to somewhere in the high 10 minute mile range.

My legs felt heavy here for about half a mile and my calves were tight but this mostly went away by the time mile 7 rolled around.

Mile 7

With only three miles to go I was feeling good but getting very cold. By now I was unconcerned with my pace since an 8 minute mile effort was rewarded with a 10 minute mile result. Somewhere early in this mile I hit the one-hour mark of my run and took a CliffShot Energy Gel pack and washed it down with a little water. The influx of carbs felt good and kept me running strong until the end.

Mile 8

Early in mile eight I went by the ice field one more time next to Oak Street beach. Again I slowed to a crawl so I wouldn’t slip and break something in the process. The best part of rounding this corner near the beach was the wind died down. By now I was very cold in my face and hands and couldn’t really feel my chest. I’m no doctor but at this point I was thinking I should have considered a treadmill (like Rich) rather than running outside since ‘lack of feeling in chest’ is probably not extremely healthy.

Mile 9

I passed the chess pavilion and kept heading north in the direction of the North Ave. bridge and Equinox. With the end in sight and the Flogging Molly song “Within a Mile of Home” blaring in my head* I picked up the pace and passed 2 or 3 runners before making it back to Lincoln Park.

I headed around the baseball fields and crossed the street and completed the 9 mile circuit in 1:23:41 which works out to a 9:30 pace if you are scoring at home. I was tired and cold but felt that I could have pressed on and gone farther if I had needed to do so.

*Note that the actual song was not playing on my iPod but I always seem to sing this song in my head to myself in the final mile of any run. Go figure.

While I was cursing the wind and cold during the run (especially the 2nd half of the run) I’m happy I fought through it and kept going. It was certainly more interesting than watching cartoons on the treadmill. The bottom line is I want spring and summer to come NOW so I can run outside in shorts and a tee shirt.

The good people at my gym had the pleasure of getting to smell me while I stretched inside the gym following the run. It was nice to be able to take a steam and shower after that which warmed me up considerably.

While I will run much farther than 9 miles before this is over (26.2 - 9=17.2 miles farther) for the moment I’m proud of my new personal distance record and am looking forward to the miles to come. I felt excellent all day Saturday off my running fueled endorphin high.

The only soreness to report is in the calves which by today (Monday) has basically gone away. Tonight I am thinking about lifting, doing the woosher, or maybe both. Week #4 is in the books and this week I have a 3 mile, a 5 mile, another 3 mile, and finally a 10 mile run. Good times.

Look for several shorter posts in the days to come. I’d like to put one up on my thoughts on running music at some point.