That would be "18 Miles and Counting" ... not the other version!
Overall, Saturday's 18 miler was a resounding success. I got started at about 11:00 a.m. and finished shortly before 3:00. I've often complained about our summer fog, but not anymore: It provides the perfect weather for training. And, I don't have to get up at 5:00 a.m. on my long-run days to beat the heat and humidity. When I hear about the weather challenges my running friends in other parts of the country face, I am amazed at their tenacity!
My nearly four-hour quest started off very conservatively. (That last word is not one that people usually equate with me -- LOL!) I ran the park loop at about a 12:45/13:00 pace, walking one minute after completing every mile. During those walk breaks, I'd drink some water from my brand-spanking-new fuel belt. Every two miles, I would choke down some GU with a water chaser. Maintaining such a slow pace was much harder than I thought; I'd often find that I was going too fast and had to force myself to hold back.
By the time I finished the loop, I had run about 12 miles. Six more to go! The question was, should I do my usual (boring) laps around the large track, or should I run along the path by the beach. In the past, I would have stuck to the track because of its plentiful water fountains, but my new fuel belt enabled me to break free! Roughly three miles out, three miles back, and -- drum roll please -- I had finished 18 miles!
I felt pretty good as I started to walk home, and that was pretty much how things stayed. Other than a bit of tightness in my quads, the muscle soreness I had feared never really materialized. The exhaustion did, however. Big time. I am just now starting to feel rested again, after a lot of sleep.
This week's plan calls for runs of 7, 5, and 5 with some tempo and speed work thrown in. (I'm too lazy to go look at the chart right now!) There's also one day of rest (Friday) and one day of cross-training (today).
The big dilemma is the long run this week: Jenny Hadfield's plan cuts this week's long run back to 10 miles, before going up to 20 miles next Saturday. The Runner's World Challenge plan pushes it to 20 miles this Saturday and 22 the next, before cutting back. My mindset right now is that I would really like to get this first 20-miler out of the way.
Any input from my veteran running/marathoning friends would be great! You ladies have helped me go from being terrified of racing, to running 5-Ks, 10-Ks, half-marathons, and now -- hopefully! -- my first full. I can't put into words how awesome you are!
No comments:
Post a Comment