Body Holding Up

Today was a long 14 mile run. I couldn't get out of bed early, so I ran after the women's basketball game. Overall, it turned out to be a pretty good run. I did a river loop, then added the Schuykill Banks loop, and finally a couple miles out and back on Kelly Drive.

The temperatures were in the mid 40s, so I wore shorts. I ended up rolling my long sleeves up too in order to stay warm. It was cloudy though.

I went out nice and easy. The first mile was 7:37. I ran pretty consistently from 7:15 to 7:37 throughout the whole run. My legs felt very strong early on, and I was pleased to encounter no IT band problems.

My IT band did eventually start acting up. After about 4 miles, it became a minor problem. For whatever reason, the portion of West River Drive near Falls Bridge always bothers me. There are a lot of tree roots that push up the pavement and that makes for an uneven surface. I guess the path is sloped as well. It was tough, but I made it through this portion.

Once I got to the Art Museum and finished the loop, I got a second wind. My IT problem went away completely. I got pretty competitive and passed a bunch of runners as I went through the Schuykill Banks leg. I felt good up until about the 12 mile point.

The last few miles were very tough. Even though I've run farther, it's been a few months. My legs were definitely starting to feel the affects. I battled through it though and finished. The IT band was tight and I needed some stretches. My legs are less sore than my first 14 miler before the Philly Marathon, but they still are sore.

I continued to be impressed with my progress. I didn't even run this hard at all, yet I went at a faster pace than my fall half marathon. Hills have made a huge difference and I feel much stronger. I can't wait to keep making progress. My IT band was bothering me, but not enough to cause me to stop. I should be able to continue on. My overall mileage doesn't increase much from now until the end of training, so my body should be able to adjust.

Tomorrow will be a fine recovery 6 miler. I'm not sure yet where I'll run. Maybe I'll just do a simple out and back. I want to get to Pennypack Park at some point this week. Since I work tomorrow, it likely won't be then.

14 miles - 1:44:01 (7:25 pace)