Long Run Number 2
I am stronger than I think I am. I just need motivation to get myself to do the things I am capable of doing. Losing your motivation is a terrible thing, because it makes you incapable of living up to your potential. I think my motivation for attempting a second long run on a single weekend was just to see if I could do it. I had some help in accomplishing it, in the form of my friend Chris keeping pace with me for the first 9 miles. I am sure if he wasn’t with me I would have bailed out after the first 4 miles.
I started out feeling very sluggish with crabby legs. Chris had run with me in the past and told me not to worry about it as he has seen me start out feeling like shit only to start opening up once I got several miles into me. He was right. After I hit the 6 mile mark, I could feel my legs start to loosen and my pace quicken. Chris started breathing heavy as he began to struggle to keep up with me. It was a funny turn of events. Just a few miles earlier, we had stopped for water and then began to walk after we left the fountain. I told him don’t look at me to start running again as I was content to just walk for a while. Now here I was pushing the pace and making him struggle.
Chris stayed with me for about 9 miles of my run. I left him about a half mile short of completing our third loop. I wasn’t sure how I would feel continuing on my own, but as of that moment I just felt like running and quickening my pace. I did start to get lonely while I was by myself. I hoped to run into a friend I’d seen earlier running in the opposite direction. When it was apparent that wasn’t going to, I decided that if I saw someone with a cell phone, I’d call my house to see if my daughter wanted to join me for the remainder of my run.
After I completed my 4th loop, I stopped at the hiding place for my water bottle. Someone was nearby with a cell phone and I was able to call my house. My daughter said she would go with me and I had her get ready while I ran back to get her. This was the only point during my run in which I stopped my watch. I didn’t think it was fair to count the time in took to get her bike out of the basement as part of the elapsed time of my run.
The Prospect Park Track Club happened to be throwing a race while I was doing my run. When I returned to get my daughter, I passed the finishing clock which read 15 minutes into a 5K race. When I returned to the park with my daughter on her bike, the race was still going on and I passed a couple of the really slow runners. I was a bit incredulous at how long it takes for some people to move 3 miles, but more power to them for trying.
My daughter covered with me the final 7 miles of 20. The first 3.5 of it went pretty well. She didn’t want to stop at all and my pace was still at an acceptable level. However, on our second loop I could feel the fatigue start to set in as I approached 17.5 miles. I was hitting the proverbial wall at the 18 mile mark. I wasn’t too concerned though. How could I be when just yesterday I had run 23 miles? This was the most distance running I’ve ever covered in two days and I was quite pleased with myself to know that I was going to get this 20 miler in. I am definitely ready to sign up for the JFK 50 miler. I feel the drive and determination inside me to do it. I am thinking I can even do very well in my age group. However, before I get to full of myself, I’ll see what happens in the coming weeks as I attempt longer single days training runs.
For the remainder of the day I took my kids out on their Razor Scooters. We went all over the neighborhood, including a stop at Barnes and Nobel to read some books. Having to walk the several miles with them over the course of the afternoon was just the thing my legs needed. The walking helped to keep them loose and I think served as added training for what it will be like when I do the JFK 50.
When I returned home from my afternoon out with the kids, I was feeling like kicking back and having a beer. This desire couldn’t have been better timed as my brother-in-law and his friend showed up within minutes of our return home. The three of us headed for Farrell’s Pub and kicked back several beers while we watched the NY Giants get their asses kicked by the Seattle Seahawks. I now sit in my living room, pleasantly buzzed while my BIL cooks pork chops on my grill.
Weekend workout stats:
Saturday: 23.2 miles, HR: 140/167, Time: 3:29:45 (total time)
Sunday: 20.3 miles, HR: 135/154, Time: 3:05:15 (total time)
Week Distance (9/18-9/24): 63.4 miles
I started out feeling very sluggish with crabby legs. Chris had run with me in the past and told me not to worry about it as he has seen me start out feeling like shit only to start opening up once I got several miles into me. He was right. After I hit the 6 mile mark, I could feel my legs start to loosen and my pace quicken. Chris started breathing heavy as he began to struggle to keep up with me. It was a funny turn of events. Just a few miles earlier, we had stopped for water and then began to walk after we left the fountain. I told him don’t look at me to start running again as I was content to just walk for a while. Now here I was pushing the pace and making him struggle.
Chris stayed with me for about 9 miles of my run. I left him about a half mile short of completing our third loop. I wasn’t sure how I would feel continuing on my own, but as of that moment I just felt like running and quickening my pace. I did start to get lonely while I was by myself. I hoped to run into a friend I’d seen earlier running in the opposite direction. When it was apparent that wasn’t going to, I decided that if I saw someone with a cell phone, I’d call my house to see if my daughter wanted to join me for the remainder of my run.
After I completed my 4th loop, I stopped at the hiding place for my water bottle. Someone was nearby with a cell phone and I was able to call my house. My daughter said she would go with me and I had her get ready while I ran back to get her. This was the only point during my run in which I stopped my watch. I didn’t think it was fair to count the time in took to get her bike out of the basement as part of the elapsed time of my run.
The Prospect Park Track Club happened to be throwing a race while I was doing my run. When I returned to get my daughter, I passed the finishing clock which read 15 minutes into a 5K race. When I returned to the park with my daughter on her bike, the race was still going on and I passed a couple of the really slow runners. I was a bit incredulous at how long it takes for some people to move 3 miles, but more power to them for trying.
My daughter covered with me the final 7 miles of 20. The first 3.5 of it went pretty well. She didn’t want to stop at all and my pace was still at an acceptable level. However, on our second loop I could feel the fatigue start to set in as I approached 17.5 miles. I was hitting the proverbial wall at the 18 mile mark. I wasn’t too concerned though. How could I be when just yesterday I had run 23 miles? This was the most distance running I’ve ever covered in two days and I was quite pleased with myself to know that I was going to get this 20 miler in. I am definitely ready to sign up for the JFK 50 miler. I feel the drive and determination inside me to do it. I am thinking I can even do very well in my age group. However, before I get to full of myself, I’ll see what happens in the coming weeks as I attempt longer single days training runs.
For the remainder of the day I took my kids out on their Razor Scooters. We went all over the neighborhood, including a stop at Barnes and Nobel to read some books. Having to walk the several miles with them over the course of the afternoon was just the thing my legs needed. The walking helped to keep them loose and I think served as added training for what it will be like when I do the JFK 50.
When I returned home from my afternoon out with the kids, I was feeling like kicking back and having a beer. This desire couldn’t have been better timed as my brother-in-law and his friend showed up within minutes of our return home. The three of us headed for Farrell’s Pub and kicked back several beers while we watched the NY Giants get their asses kicked by the Seattle Seahawks. I now sit in my living room, pleasantly buzzed while my BIL cooks pork chops on my grill.
Weekend workout stats:
Saturday: 23.2 miles, HR: 140/167, Time: 3:29:45 (total time)
Sunday: 20.3 miles, HR: 135/154, Time: 3:05:15 (total time)
Week Distance (9/18-9/24): 63.4 miles
posted by Rebel at 6:52 PM
1 Comments:
"I was a bit incredulous at how long it takes for some people to move 3 miles, but more power to them for trying."
that would be me.
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