I didn't know what to expect today. I set the goal to run a 20 miler. I haven't done that in awhile. I thought about running on trails, but then I saw that it was the first day of hunting season. I figured it was best to avoid those areas. I'm kind of getting tired of the Nor-Bath Trail and it was so sloppy a couple days ago. I figured it wouldn't get any better.
It has been some time since I ran the D&L section between Cementon and Slatington. One of the last times I ran there, it was a struggle. I think it was right after either the VIA Marathon or the Blues Cruise 50k. My calf started to hurt me then and I struggled immensely to finish 15 miles. I figured my legs probably don't like this surface, but I had to give it a try since I do like running here.
The weather was perfect. There was a slight breeze off the Lehigh River, but that was all. It was 42 degrees and occasionally the sun came out. I wore a lightweight orange long sleeve shirt and shorts. That was all I needed. I stuck with the orange just to be safe, since I think people might be able to hunt near the trail. I did see one hunter, but surprisingly I never heard a single gunshot.
I actually started off at Cove Road. I headed north. The trail was certainly sloppy. It is amazing how long it stays wet this time of year. With the stone surface, it wasn't quite as bad as Nor-Bath, but some sections were close.
The first mile felt good. In a lot of the early miles, I wasn't going hard, but I kept reminding myself to slow down anyway. I figured I could never go too slow. I ran on the opposite side of the trail because conditions seemed better over there.
It's amazing how much I've become like clockwork. My first mile of easy, longer runs is almost always an 8:52. After the warmup, the miles usually drop to just over an 8 minute pace. I'm consistent, that is for sure.
I cruised along and enjoyed the scenery. There are rock cliffs along the trail and they are cool in the winter. Ice crystals form on them and make a neat sight. A few of them fell down as I ran by. Luckily, they aren't too close to the trail.
I passed a lady walking her dog and saw a few other dog walkers as well as some bike riders today. A Monday afternoon in December doesn't draw much of a crowd though. I had most of the trail to myself to just think. I did that a lot in the beginning, until I got bored with the subjects that were concerning me.
I was happy to be feeling good as I hit miles 2, 3 and 4. I figured that the trail was softer that normal and that was a big help. I also flew at times, so those must've been some slight downhill sections.
I neared the Slatington Trailhead at around mile 5. I wanted to get some more distance, since I was feeling good. Therefore, I headed out on the Slate Heritage Trail. I didn't want to get too far on this trail though, because it is paved. I need to be cautious with my legs.
That trail begins with some slight uphill running. I went out about a mile and headed back, just after mile 6. I cruised back down along this trail and came to mile 7 just after getting off this trail and back onto the D&L.
My legs had been getting kind of sore on the Slate Heritage Trail, but they felt great almost instantaneously when I stepped back onto the D&L. It was hard to believe I was only at mile 7 of 20 at this point. I just had to focus on the small segments of the run and not the big picture.
From about miles 8-10, my legs were bothering me. It was starting to become a struggle. I guess that is because I was running uphill at this point. Running seemed so much harder and I was so frustrated. Every time that I felt like I was working too hard to go uphill, I told myself to back off. I had a long way to go. I began wondering how I'd run 15 miles, let alone 20 of them.
I had to just keep going and hope that I could regroup back at the car. When I would arrive there, it would be mile 12. I continued on and although my times didn't drop too much, I didn't feel good.
Right before getting back to my car, I went to the bathroom. Stopping briefly was a shock. I felt quite warm and was a little lightheaded. I got back to the car at just past mile 12. I stopped my watch while I rested.
I toweled off and stretch briefly. I was sore, but could've been in worse shape. I badly needed calories, so I ate an old GU. The only thing I had eaten for lunch were a couple pretzels. The rest was probably about 5 minutes.
I headed back out in the other direction this time, toward the Cementon Trailhead. I was hoping to run all the way to there and back, but I wasn't so sure since I didn't feel all that great. I was thinking maybe it would just be a couple shorter out and back runs to finish this thing up.
I must've been going uphill early on, because I felt awful. I got only a mile out in that direction and was strongly considering turning around. I sputtered on though. I figured that I could do another half mile.
Before I hit mile 14, something amazing happened. Suddenly, the legs felt great and I felt strong. I could tell that the GU was working its magic. The trail felt so much nicer too though. It must've been a downhill.
I cruised along comfortably. I was only at mile 14, but I felt so great now that I knew I'd finish the run. I felt so amazing that I even starting singing out loud. It's a good thing no one was on the trail.
I thought about turning around at mile 15, but I was still feeling awesome and wanted that to last longer. If I had to struggle on the way back, so be it. I had to take advantage of the great feeling now.
I continued on, not quite sure how far until the Cementon Trailhead. As I approached the trailhead, I realized that I would be right around 16 miles. I was actually dead on that mileage when I got to the gate at the end of the road and had to turn around.
That was perfect. I now had 4 miles to get back to my car. No matter what, I had to keep going. Otherwise, I'd have to walk far anyway.
It was certainly more difficult coming back. However, it must've been only a slight uphill, as I still felt quite strong. I focused on each upcoming mile and didn't want to look too far ahead.
I had been running around an 8:15 pace now. I was slipping only slightly. I still felt pretty strong. With 3 miles to go, I felt so good that I decided to run just a little bit harder.
Even at the end of the run and going uphill, I ran faster during miles 18, 19 and 20, than my average pace. I had pushed harder, but it wasn't too much more. I was just running solid and consistent.
Right before the final mile, a guy was walking his dog and it wanted to run and play with me. It didn't hold me up too much though. I ran the last mile very hard, or maybe more accurately, the last half mile. I pushed and pushed and pushed and got that mile from a 7:30 pace down to a 7:09 pace.
Usually when I've gone out for long runs, I've only been able to do 15-17 miles. Running so well today was a huge surprise to me. I was kind of mad that I didn't tack on a few more miles too. I had a bit more in the tank. I guess I can save that for later in the week.
This might've been my most amazing training run ever. It's definitely the winner in that category if you exclude my 25 miles on trails at Jacobsburg in the fall. I felt so strong afterward today and I wasn't even all that sore. I wish I could feel this way during marathons. That could go a long way toward me meeting my goals. Thinking about all the people in the Holiday Miles group that I'm in helped me get through this run as well.
It was a great run for sure, but now it is done and I have to move on. Tomorrow, I'm hoping for an easy double session. I'd like the AM one to be 5 miles and the PM one to be 10 miles. That would continue a strong week for me. I look forward to see how I handle the remainder of the week, since I'm shooting for 70 miles.
20 miles - 2:43:35 (8:11 pace)
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