The Looooong Run

Date: 10/8/2011
Route:  Hines Park 6 Miler x 2
Distance: 12 Miles
Pace: 12:01/mile
No music today. 

I just stopped hurting today. That would be 3 days after my long run on Saturday. The long run is something of a legend in most half-marathon training circles. If you follow (and actually stick to) a set training schedule, like the one posted on Marathon Rookie, you will do several longer runs culminating in about a 12 miler (THE long run). This would be a nice ramp up for those people who have nothing but time and are way more dedicated then myself.  For those of us with lives...or small children, a set schedule is pretty hard to keep to. We tend to do the brute force method. I tried to run about three times a week, even while in Chicago for a bachelor party. Most of my runs were between 4 and 6 miles, and I ran a 9 miler 2 weeks ago. So instead of a nice slow and steady ramp up to twelve, I jumped right from 9 to 12. Ouchie.

Luckily I had some great company for the first 6 miles of this run. We did the first loop together and all the talking helped me moderate my pace. I got to fly solo for the last 6. Everything was fine until about mile 10. That is when the legs got the "you want me to move...seriously??" feeling. I ground out those last miles, but man was it tough.

The poor Wife greets me as I stumble into the house and make a beeline for a chair and the largest Gatorade I can find. I am sitting there panting (yup panting, you runners know what I am talking about), just trying to moderate my body temperature, and I am sure I look just about dead. My saintly wife gets the hint and turns on the overhead fan and goes outside to do something. I was in that state of semi-consciousness where you are somewhat detached from the pain your body is in, you are really just focused on inputs...oxygen, liquid, and calories (when you burn 2400 calories running 12 miles you get very hungry.) There is no pain, only miles and miles behind you.

I love running.

I am so ready for this half on Sunday.

So here is my public pronouncement of my goal for Detroit. I will run this race no slower then 12:30/mile, 30 seconds a mile faster then last year. I am pretty confident in hitting that goal, in fact the hardest part will be going that slow at the beginning so I have energy left at the end. I have one more small run left tomorrow (2 or 3 at the most), and then just rest and hydration up till Sunday. See you in a few days.