Friday Long Run

Sunday, October 6, 1991: "12 mi - 1:31:54 (7:39/mile pace). Tough, but good. The longer I run, the better I feel...marathoner?"

The above was taken from my running log book 18 years ago. Even at the age of 24, I was starting to realize that maybe I'm more suited for longer distances. Well, that goal of becoming a marathoner has yet to be realized. That was the last time I had done a run of 12 or more miles...until this morning. I strapped on the new fuel belt & iPod and ran 12 miles on the Centennial Trail down in Snohomish. Weather was perfect - 67 and sunny. I drank thrice; one time was at mile 5 when I also ate two Shot Blocs. Never had any stomach issues (I had never eaten during a run before so I wasn't sure what to expect). The only thing about the run that bugged me a bit was the fuel belt. I learned that I could either wear it loose and low and have it bounce around like crazy, or wear it tight and have it creep up my stomach. I chose the latter and dealt with a bit of breathing issues (not major), pushing the belt down every once in awhile. For a training run, no big deal. But during a race, when I'm breathing hard, it could be a problem. I'm still going to look into a hand-held bottle soon. I probably didn't even need to carry anything for 12 miles, but I wanted to see how it would all work and if I could eat and drink efficiently while running.
My time was about what I expected (1:41:14 - 8:26/mile pace); maybe a tad faster. Fastest mile was 8:18, slowest was 8:41, when I was eating & drinking. Was a little faster coming back than going out. Took a 12-minute ice bath when I got home. Calves are a little tight, but aside from an occassional tweak during the run, the legs held up nicely.
Assuming I feel okay in the morning, I'll do an easy 3.5 mile run to end the week.
Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Saturday Morning Long Run

This week's long run was shorter than last week's: 8 miles. Time was 1:06:47 (8:21/mile pace). I felt a little fatigued during this run. I didn't sleep well last night, and I think Thursday's speed session took more out of me than I expected. Still, I managed to log the miles today without any injuries or problems. Money in the bank, I guess.
Next week, I think I'll skip the speedwork and focus on an even longer run of either 11 or 12 miles. I feel the need to work more on my endurance at this point in my half marathon training. I'll likely do a hilly run early in the week, plus a couple of easy runs, then the long run on Friday.
Enjoy your weekend and run strong!

Weekly Long Run

Ran a nice 10-miler this morning. Time was 1:24:32 (8:27 per mile pace). It was an out-and-back course. I wanted to run negative splits and did: 43:13 out; 41:19 back. Took me a few miles to get into a groove. Got a little tired the last mile (which is a slight uphill), and I noticed that I need to work on stretching and strengthening my hip flexors, which got a bit sore and tired the last couple of miles. Afterward, I did some stretching and took an ice bath.

I was happy that the legs felt good enough to do a long run two days after my first interval workout in years. I guess I didn't overdo it on the track, fortunately.

I think 10 miles is about the max I want to run without carrying any fluid with me. Guess I better invest in some sort of hydration system pretty soon.

I'd like to build my long run up to an "overdistance" amount; i.e. over half-marathon distance. I want to have plenty of endurance built up for the race.

Double Digits

Just banked my first 10-mile run this year. Started after the rain, finished just before a torrential downpour. Time was 1:22:56 (8:18 pace). Felt strong for about 8 miles, then was kind of dragging the last 2. That gave me a good opportunity to concentrate on maintaining good form and foot turnover. Back straight, shoulders back, head up...all that good stuff. Five months ago, I was only running 1 mile, three days a week, so this is VERY encouraging. My knee and IT band held up well, which is also VERY encouraging. It's becoming obvious that I don't have too many gears, but I can hold a decent pace for a long time. I suppose part of that comes with age (as a distance runner, anyway). I still want to work on some speed just to sharpen up a bit before the 5k next month, so this will probably be my last long run before then. It was really enjoyable, though, so I'm anxious to start building up the mileage later this year.

Stretching out the distance

Ran 8 miles today, which is the longest I've run since 2004. Did it in 1:06:58 (8:22 pace...8:15-8:30 is my "cruise control" pace, apparently). It was an out-and-back course. Was very consistent: 33:31 out, 33:27 back. I only felt an IT band twinge a few times on the way out, then nothing on the way back. I tried to do some forefoot running for about a mile, until I felt a tweak in my upper right calf. I still tried to strike more midfoot than heel-toe. Maybe I'll give Newtons a go someday...when I can afford a pair!
For me, this distance is kind of a benchmark. If I can run an easy 8, I know I can do a double-digit run. Since my bowling team is competing for the title tonight, maybe I shouldn't have done my longest run in 5 years today...but man, if felt good! If I have the energy, I'd like to end my training week with a 40-mile bike ride tomorrow. Next week I'll keep things shorter, but more intense. I want to half-train for my 5k on June 13th. Not looking for a PR, but I don't want to embarrass myself, either.