Monday, March 12, 2007

3/11/2007 Long Run

I found out on this run that I am completely inept at planning and routing using a map. Well, that may be overstating it a little bit, but somehow while I was planning my 16 mile run I ended up with a route that was 17.75 miles long. There is nothing like making yourself do a little extra work. I also learned that I need to start working on taking in some nourishment on these long runs. You'd think I'd know that having spent so much time on the bike, but lessons come hard sometimes. This lesson hit me at about the 12 mile mark as I realized I was running out of gas and I was still at least 4 miles out on the course. It made for a very long, stiff and tiring 5.75 miles. It all came to a head when I realized I was finishing up with the .5 mile 132 hill climb. This was the first time in a long time that I've had to stop and walk up the hill. I still managed to finish up the last mile at a jog after getting to the top of the hill. The dumb about the whole bonking out on Sunday is that I just bought a bunch of Gu while I was out getting my new running shoes the day before. Maybe next weekend I will play it a little smarter and start working on fueling the body while I run.

This was the maiden voyage of the aforementioned new running shoes. I liked the Asics Gel Cumulus model so much that I used all last year that I got the same pair for the '07 season. New shoes are so much fun. I felt so confident in them that I popped them on and did a 159 min long run. (17.75m / 8:57 pace). An 8:57 pace even with a stop to work out my stiff and cramping legs at mile 14 and walking part of the hill at mile 16? Not a bad day.

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