I finished the 14 miler Saturday at 8:48 pace. It was faster than I planned on running. I wasn’t really pushing for any pace in particular, just running. My long run was supposed to be on Sunday, but about 1 on Saturday the sun was shinning, and I knew there couldn’t be too many nice days like that left in the year, so I quickly changed my plans and headed off in into the wild blue.
The run went OK I guess. I took my IPod along for the first time in a long time and I am glad I did. Two hours is a long time to be out there, and I already am familiar with the damage an annoying tune can do on a long run when it gets stuck in your head. You know… I knew the long runs would be hard. I was warned. I was warned again. Everyone said, ‘find a running partner for the long runs’, but no… in order to save some time… I just run alone. And I tell you what… those long runs can get pretty freaky. I have heard that people trapped on deserted isles or deprived of social interaction can go crazy. I am thinking the same thing holds true for long runs. =)
A few times, even in the chilling cold, I ah… disconnected a bit and it was warm spring day. And that is all I have to say about that. In generally I was pretty comfortable, though my hands froze. I think gloves might be in order. My knee was killing me of course, but after two hours of running in the cold... can I really expect to feel like a spring chicken? Heck no… just waking up every day after 40 is an excuse for ibuprofen.
I tell you… I sat down to Blog on Saturday after the run, but had to stop myself. I just couldn’t do it. I know enough already to know I should just wait a bit and let my body and mind recover before I start typing away.
Any minute now I will grab my shoes and head out for a 4 mile recovery run. Err.. JOG I mean JOG. What blows my mind is that I have some 20+ mile runs coming up… with 1 day rest and then 5-7-6 on the next three. Where is the REST? When am I supposed to recover?! It seems a bit insane… but I will do the best I can. I just need to think positive, drink a lot of water, carb load, stretch, eat right, manage my time, avoid injuries, mitigate blisters, keep my shoes fresh and oh yes… maintain my sanity.
“Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more…” Henry V
1 comment:
The first few 20 mile runs are always daunting - it's the same for everyone, but you do get used to them. I always used to dread the 20 milers, but since the day of a 23 mile training run last summer I have lost that fear.
As for running in the rain, my tip is this: get used to it. The most difficult step is the first one, the other ones are easier. As long as it's not too windy, running in the rain is certainly more fun than running in the heat. But be sure to wear gloves when it's cold. If the temperatures go below 4C/40F, I wear long sleeves, and below 0C/32F I wear pants rather than shorts, but feel free to come up with your own ideas.
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