Second Longest Run

Today was the 2nd longest run of my life. I ran almost 15.5 miles, mostly along Kelly Drive and through to Manayunk. I ran the final 14 miles of the Philadelphia Marathon, all the way to Green Lane in Manayunk and back. This is great prep for the race in November.

I got out very early, starting off at 6 AM. I didn't think anyone else would be crazy enough to run at that time, but sure enough I passed someone on West River Drive. I started out there and ran to the 12 mile marker of the marathon course and back.

Yesterday, I bought a Nathan's fuel belt. I really didn't like the hand held bottle, so the belt was a relief. It took some getting used to though as it probably weighs a good 5-10 pounds. It definitely slowed my pace down. I also had to adjust it a couple times to make sure it fit more comfortable.

It was dark for the first half of the run so the temperature was nice and cool. I felt good throughout, although I probably should've tied my one shoe a little tighter. The slower pace that I was running because of the belt, kept me at a nice slow pace early on.

I tried running on the roads as much as I could when I got to Manayunk. That was a big help and I wasn't dizzy this time around. The road was sloped some though, so that was annoying. I think drinking properly and eating GU energy gels was a big help to my wellness.

I took one gel about 35 minutes into the run and another between Manayunk and Falls Bridge on the way back. That kept me fueled and fresh. I drank all my Gatorade, but two of the bottles were filled with water that I just ended up dumping them. I won't fill them up as much next time.

Although the belt is a bit of a pain, one nice thing is that it gets much lighter as you drink. That allows you to be significantly faster towards the end of the run. I ran very well and relatively fast from Falls Bridge back to the Art Museum. I'm getting so used to this route.

One guy passed me and I just didn't have enough to stay with him. I ran my own run then and passed a lot more people. I finished very strong and didn't realize how hard I had worked until I finished in a little over 2 hours on the road. My legs haven't had a workout like that in a long time.

After being sore earlier in the week, I felt very fresh today. The slowed paced run on Thursday really allowed me to recover better. I need to learn how to slow down on easy days with more regularity.

It's funny because I ran for over 2 hours, but it dawned on me afterwards just how focused on the run I was. In the past, I would often daydream. Today, I couldn't think of what thoughts passed through my head other than thinking about the run itself.

It's crazy to think that this was one of the longest runs I ever did, but elite runners do this all the time and it's often an average day. It's equivalent to what a four mile run is to me. Eventually, I'll get to that level. For now though, I'm just very exhausted and sore.

In a lighter moment, I walked by an older lady with a cane after the run and realized that I walked as poorly as her now. I was limping along as I tried to recover by walking to Dunkin Donuts.

It's so rewarding finishing up a long run like this. It's an excellent way to start the weekend. Even better, is starting so early. It was nice at 8 AM when I was finishing up my run and most people were just heading out to start their workout.

I checked with the Philly Runner store yesterday, but they aren't hiring yet. He told me to send my resume because they should have some openings in a few weeks. I don't have much running experience, so I'm not sure what to really include. Hopefully, I can get a job there. That would certainly be a huge help me get to the elite level that I'm hoping for.

Tomorrow will be an easy hour recovery bike ride before I head off to the Eagles game. I'm definitely feeling ready to run the half marathon next Saturday. I will run easy with hill sprints on Tuesday if my body feels good. Wednesday will be a hard day again. Thursday will be easy with no hill workout.

I'm excited to see what kind of time I can put up at the Lancaster Half Marathon. I'm hoping to run a 7:30 pace. The hills will make it a little tougher. We'll see what happens.

15.46 miles - 2:12:28 (8:34 pace)