Distance: 20 mi.
Time: 2:35:51 - 7:48 ppm.
For today's long run, I made a point to prepare a little bit better, or at least come close to resembling pre-race preparation. I will not be working til after 11p.m. the night before Thunder Road, as I did last night, but I did take in a good bit of food yesterday and get to sleep at a decent hour. Yesterday afternoon I made a trip to Run For Your Life to pick up some more gel and purchase some new shorts. I needed a longer pair of shorts with a pocket in order to combat the cooler weather and have some room for the gel. Done and done.
I had been invited to join the group of Billy, Kahn, Carolyn, and Megan, but I declined, choosing instead to get an extra hour of sleep and run at my own pace. For the most part I prefer running with a group, as it will always be faster, but sometimes a solo long run can do wonders for the mind and spirit.
I parked at Old Bell just before 7, stretched out a bit, and stuffed some gel into my shorts. I would be taking two decaffeinated packets at miles six and twelve and one caffeinated gel at mile 18. For the race I will probably do another caffeinated dose at mile 24. I only needed one for now as I had planned to return to the car after 12 on the roads. I ran up Sardis in shorts, a tech tee, and a v-neck dry-fit long-sleeve, plus a toboggan. I was cold and it was a bit shocking compared to what I've gotten used to. I made a point not to worry about my pace, and it showed, as it was a good bit into this one before I was able to turn any decent splits. I felt like I was running faster but again, the change in temperature was a bit startling at first. I ran through Lansdowne and up Providence, then went up Alexander Road. This road is always so pretty in the early mornings when it's cold outside. There's one section with a couple small fields on either side and a blind curve that make it look like a mountain lane. It was here that I took the first gel, inadvisably without water.
I ran to the right on Sardis and turned into the Sardis Forest neighborhood, where I proceeded to get lost...story of my life. This could explain several 8:00-plus miles as I never really stopped the watch while I was walking around in the road trying to gather my bearings. Oh well, I made it out and back towards the car, where I caught a glimpse of Compton running by and took another gel - this time with water and Gatorade.
My watch read 7:56 average pace, which was a bit disturbing despite the slow miles in Sardis Forest. I ditched my hat and set off down the greenway, determined to turn some faster miles. I accomplished said goal, with my fastest split being a 7:16 on mile 17. I took the caffeinated gel with water after 18 miles, and it was here that I finally began to slow down, albeit only by a little bit, after successfully getting my average pace under 7:50. The legs were tired but the breathing and energy level had been fine all day, likely a combination of the cooler temps and the three gels.
After struggling to make it through an 18-mile run last weekend I was happy to get this one down in solid fashion. The pace was slower than I would have liked but despite being tired at the end I felt like I could have gone further. I will do one more 20-miler and a 22-mile run before I taper.
This was a good morning on the roads and trails.
Time: 2:35:51 - 7:48 ppm.
For today's long run, I made a point to prepare a little bit better, or at least come close to resembling pre-race preparation. I will not be working til after 11p.m. the night before Thunder Road, as I did last night, but I did take in a good bit of food yesterday and get to sleep at a decent hour. Yesterday afternoon I made a trip to Run For Your Life to pick up some more gel and purchase some new shorts. I needed a longer pair of shorts with a pocket in order to combat the cooler weather and have some room for the gel. Done and done.
I had been invited to join the group of Billy, Kahn, Carolyn, and Megan, but I declined, choosing instead to get an extra hour of sleep and run at my own pace. For the most part I prefer running with a group, as it will always be faster, but sometimes a solo long run can do wonders for the mind and spirit.
I parked at Old Bell just before 7, stretched out a bit, and stuffed some gel into my shorts. I would be taking two decaffeinated packets at miles six and twelve and one caffeinated gel at mile 18. For the race I will probably do another caffeinated dose at mile 24. I only needed one for now as I had planned to return to the car after 12 on the roads. I ran up Sardis in shorts, a tech tee, and a v-neck dry-fit long-sleeve, plus a toboggan. I was cold and it was a bit shocking compared to what I've gotten used to. I made a point not to worry about my pace, and it showed, as it was a good bit into this one before I was able to turn any decent splits. I felt like I was running faster but again, the change in temperature was a bit startling at first. I ran through Lansdowne and up Providence, then went up Alexander Road. This road is always so pretty in the early mornings when it's cold outside. There's one section with a couple small fields on either side and a blind curve that make it look like a mountain lane. It was here that I took the first gel, inadvisably without water.
I ran to the right on Sardis and turned into the Sardis Forest neighborhood, where I proceeded to get lost...story of my life. This could explain several 8:00-plus miles as I never really stopped the watch while I was walking around in the road trying to gather my bearings. Oh well, I made it out and back towards the car, where I caught a glimpse of Compton running by and took another gel - this time with water and Gatorade.
My watch read 7:56 average pace, which was a bit disturbing despite the slow miles in Sardis Forest. I ditched my hat and set off down the greenway, determined to turn some faster miles. I accomplished said goal, with my fastest split being a 7:16 on mile 17. I took the caffeinated gel with water after 18 miles, and it was here that I finally began to slow down, albeit only by a little bit, after successfully getting my average pace under 7:50. The legs were tired but the breathing and energy level had been fine all day, likely a combination of the cooler temps and the three gels.
After struggling to make it through an 18-mile run last weekend I was happy to get this one down in solid fashion. The pace was slower than I would have liked but despite being tired at the end I felt like I could have gone further. I will do one more 20-miler and a 22-mile run before I taper.
This was a good morning on the roads and trails.
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