Long Run Number 4
Well today wasn’t really a long run, unless you consider 13.1 miles as long. But the run was done hard, at somewhat of a race pace. So all things considered, I’d say I put the same stress on my legs that I would have if the run was 20 miles; possibly even more.
I did the Greta’s Great Gallop Half Marathon. My coach told me to race it. I had my doubts as to whether I could, but my legs showed up for race day. Right at the start I ran into my friend Jon. We paced each other for the first 3 miles. The last time I raced with Jon at the start of a race was the NJ Marathon. Both of these races were very successful. I need to make starting a race with Jon into more of a habit.
I must say I am really surprised at how well I did. I didn’t expect my pace to be so good. I easily negative split the race and never really entered anaerobic levels. My only limiting factor was the fatigue in my legs from my run yesterday. I guess I could have pushed myself harder, but I was afraid of digging too deep and killing myself for the next couple of days.
The day itself was very wet. It started to pour at the start of the race, eventually slowing to a steady rain for the duration. I didn’t mind it though as it served to keep me cool. I wore a hat to keep the water out of my eyes and my regular eyeglasses since my Rudy Projects tend to fog up. The only disappointment for the day was that I told my wife it was better off to keep the kids at home, rather than take them to the kid’s races later in the morning. I didn’t see the point in making them stand around in the rain to race a couple of hundred yards. It probably all worked out for the best, since they started the kid’s races right around the time I was finishing. I probably would have missed them anyway.
The Race:
My legs felt a bit heavy from my 20 miler yesterday, but they were turning over well and I felt pretty good. I kept a moderate pace at first and then just naturally began to run faster. It wasn’t much of an effort to do so. I was just able to run well. I didn’t think about running faster or slowing down, I just ran the pace that felt right.
Even though it was easy for me to run a 7:23 pace (7:05 if you count the total Polar 625x distance), I did feel some aches and pains in my legs. I guess that is to be expected when you start putting in some running distance and then go out and race the next day. The pain felt good. I was relishing in it and liking the way my body was feeling as I worked towards the finish line. I am beginning to feel invincible when it comes to running and I am really enjoying my new found running stamina.
For the remainder of the day I played baseball with my kids outside my house, took them to see a movie and then pushed them on the swings in a nearby park. It turned out to be such a beautiful day and I really enjoyed being out in it with my kids.
I did the Greta’s Great Gallop Half Marathon. My coach told me to race it. I had my doubts as to whether I could, but my legs showed up for race day. Right at the start I ran into my friend Jon. We paced each other for the first 3 miles. The last time I raced with Jon at the start of a race was the NJ Marathon. Both of these races were very successful. I need to make starting a race with Jon into more of a habit.
I must say I am really surprised at how well I did. I didn’t expect my pace to be so good. I easily negative split the race and never really entered anaerobic levels. My only limiting factor was the fatigue in my legs from my run yesterday. I guess I could have pushed myself harder, but I was afraid of digging too deep and killing myself for the next couple of days.
The day itself was very wet. It started to pour at the start of the race, eventually slowing to a steady rain for the duration. I didn’t mind it though as it served to keep me cool. I wore a hat to keep the water out of my eyes and my regular eyeglasses since my Rudy Projects tend to fog up. The only disappointment for the day was that I told my wife it was better off to keep the kids at home, rather than take them to the kid’s races later in the morning. I didn’t see the point in making them stand around in the rain to race a couple of hundred yards. It probably all worked out for the best, since they started the kid’s races right around the time I was finishing. I probably would have missed them anyway.
The Race:
My legs felt a bit heavy from my 20 miler yesterday, but they were turning over well and I felt pretty good. I kept a moderate pace at first and then just naturally began to run faster. It wasn’t much of an effort to do so. I was just able to run well. I didn’t think about running faster or slowing down, I just ran the pace that felt right.
Even though it was easy for me to run a 7:23 pace (7:05 if you count the total Polar 625x distance), I did feel some aches and pains in my legs. I guess that is to be expected when you start putting in some running distance and then go out and race the next day. The pain felt good. I was relishing in it and liking the way my body was feeling as I worked towards the finish line. I am beginning to feel invincible when it comes to running and I am really enjoying my new found running stamina.
For the remainder of the day I played baseball with my kids outside my house, took them to see a movie and then pushed them on the swings in a nearby park. It turned out to be such a beautiful day and I really enjoyed being out in it with my kids.
posted by Rebel at 6:46 PM
1 Comments:
hey man! I think I saw you at the end of the race - you were prob the triathlete I was pacing with on mile 10-12
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