When I was younger my easy training pace was 5 minutes per km. In recent years, however, with all the long slow training during the build up to the run around the world, and then during that run itself, my easy training pace dropped significantly. Running at 5 min/km became quite an effort and wasn’t easy.

But I’ve finally now regained that ability. For example, this morning I did a 13 km around Huskisson on the south coast (I’m here for a couple of days) and that same 5 min/km pace once again felt easy. In fact, I was able to breeze along at that speed with barely an effort. It’s good to be back, and is a positive sign for the 12 hour ultra in November, not that I’ll be running at 5 min/km during that race. It may feel easy for one hour, but I’m sure I couldn’t maintain it for 12 hours.

I know I’ve posted a previous photo of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, but this is one I took from a different vantage point. This was taken within the first hour on the first day of my North American leg. There was another 12,000 km to come before I concluded running in the US.

On This Day

Sep 24, 2012

Distance today = 48.21 km; Total distance = 12,121.28 km; Location = Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania – 40 55.683′ N, 78 59.056′ W; Start time = 0809, Finish time = 1535

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/226575825

Today was even cooler than yesterday. I ran in a T-shirt, but could quite as easily have worn a jacket. I’m definitely not complaining – too cool is much better than too hot.

Again, the run consisted of some quiet back roads with lots of forest. However, this is starting to give way to farming land. The soy bean crops are just about ready for harvesting now. I even picked a pod today, opened it, and ate the beans raw. Not recommended, but they would be OK if one was really hungry.

I have now made it to Punxsutawney. This is the town that is famous for the groundhog called Punxsutawney Phil. Since 1887, each February 2, which is known as Groundhog Day, the town officials gather as Phil emerges from his hole. The legend has it that, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his burrow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow and stays above ground, he is predicting an early spring. It is the basis of the movie Groundhog Day, although the movie was filmed elsewhere.

Punxsutawney claims to be the weather prediction capital of the world, which is a bit rich given Phil’s predictions have only enjoyed a success rate of 39% since 1887. There is a similar ritual in the town of Essex in Connecticut (which I’ll be passing through in about a month), although I’m not sure what Essex Ed’s success rate is.