Chris and Ryan were planning some fast running again this morning. I considered coming, but I struggled with 10 miles last week and wasn't sure if I could do 15 miles at that pace this week. I was largely concerned about that too because it was supposed to be about 30 degrees out. I didn't think there was anyway I could run a 6:50 pace with that many layers on.
The weather greatly improved throughout the day. By the time I started, before noon, it was in the 50s. It was pretty much perfect. Since I was running hard, I went with shorts and a singlet.
I figured that I'd shoot for 17 miles at a sub 7 minute pace. I thought I could do that, but after I struggled last week, I wasn't sure. The good thing is that this run started after getting some breakfast. Last week, I ran on an empty stomach. Also, I was running later in the day today. I'm not used to early morning runs, so that could've contributed to my difficulties at the start last week.
I took off from Riverview and headed to the Route 33 Boat Launch. I figured that I would run about 3 different segments. For this first one, I wanted 5 miles. The pace was quicker than I anticipated, but it felt comfortable. I looked down and it was just over a 6:40.
I passed Karl pretty early on in this segment. He was running the other way. There were a lot of people out there. I passed a few slower people that I saw a several times. They were probably doing longer runs.
I was trying not to go hard, but I felt good at this pace. I got into a nice groove. After mile 2, I hit the stone road into the Boat Launch. That surface wasn't difficult, but it was a change for my legs. I turned around at 2.5 miles. It was good to get off of that surface at mile 3. These first 3 miles were 6:42, 6:42 and 6:46. That was definitely a little faster than I was looking to do.
I figured that I could keep this up pretty easily until mile 5. Then I could rest a little bit. My quick pace continued without too much effort. I was simply amazed. I got back near mile 5 and decided to run out the other direction. I ran until I got to the downhill part of the path. Then, I turned around. I got back to the car and stopped at almost exactly mile 6. These miles were 6:43, 6:38 and 6:43. I was running quite consistent.
The rest and quick water break was a big help. I headed out in the other direction toward Easton this time. Since my car was near the bottom of the lot, I headed along Lehigh Drive for a short distance. I felt good and like I was running easy. I couldn't believe that the next mile was a speedy 6:33. I tried to get myself to slow down, but I was feeling good and really didn't change the pace much.
I ended up passing some of the slower runners again. I saw some bikers and runners in this section too, but there certainly weren't as many. The plan was to go out 3.5 miles and turn around. That would get me to mile 13 before my next stop.
It wasn't long until I was crossing the river and heading to Easton. I ran along Larry Holmes drive. The concrete slowed me, but not by much. I had to dodge some fishing poles in this area, since it is the 2nd day of fishing season. Once the path ended, I turned around. I was at 9.5 miles and my pace was about a 6:40. I was amazed. I came through mile 10 around this pace too. These miles were 6:39, 6:44 and 6:53.
It was good to be headed back. I was happy to get back across the river and on to the main path. The only problem was some early uphill and then a slight headwind in my face. I fought it off though. It helped to know that I'd only have to deal with it for a could more miles. I cruised along. It was good to get back to my car. I took Lehigh Drive again. I was at mile 13 and feeling good. I was kind of beat when I stopped.
Miles 11, 12 and 13 were 6:43, 6:47, 6:46. I couldn't believe my pace was still around 6:41. Again, I grabbed drink. This time, I quickly ate a gel too. I knew heading back out into the wind could be a challenge.
I felt good and headed back out. I forgot to look at my watch at 13.1 miles, but it was somewhere around 1:28. That's incredible because in February I ran a half marathon at 1:27. Of course the breaks helped, but I was far from going all out at that point. My plan was to run out 2 miles and come back.
I saw another friend, Sarah, with her husband and dog. They were out walking. It was great seeing familiar faces that late in the run. I just focused on getting to the turn around. I stayed consistent. I actually couldn't believe mile 14 was a 6:34. I slowed to 6:55 for that 15th mile. That still wasn't bad.
I decided to run out until the pavement of the parking lot ended. That got me to 15.2 miles. That meant I wouldn't have to add on too much to get to mile 18. I started to feel it on the way back. My legs were getting sore. They aren't quite used to this pace for this long. Mile 16 was a 6:48 and mile 17 slipped to 6:51.
I was falling off a bit, but still hitting my goal pace. My overall pace slipped slightly. Riverview was full of activity and that helped. I crossed the road and ran out the other direction for a bit. I then came back and ran out the original direction. I was beat by the time I finished. I ran a 6:52 final mile.
Overall, the pace was 6:44. That absolutely amazed me. I was able to run 15 miles at a 6:47 pace about a month ago, but that took a lot of work. This never seemed too hard, other than when my legs started to fall off at the end. I was super happy and impressed with the run. Now, I need to extend this pace to 22 or 23 miles in the future. I have found that faster long runs are much more fun. They go by so much faster.
Since I ran 18 miles, I wanted to over 20 for the day. I figured a short recovery run would be nice. After about 5 hours of rest, I went out in my neighborhood for a short run. I must've looked awful at first. I was so slow. I was well over 10 minute pace. I gradually sped up.
After .6 miles around my neighborhood, I headed to the other neighborhood. The plan was only 2 miles. I felt better and better though. Instead of doing a longer loop over there, I turned around at a shorter spot. That worked out well.
I hit mile 2 and shortly after that, I got to the school next to my house. A car was practicing parking. I ran loops to avoid it. I did two loops and finished up at mile 3. The miles dropped from 10:07, 8:54 and 8:16. This recovery run was great and just what I needed. It was nice and cool out too.
I've run over 100 miles in the last 8 days. It's now time for a much needed day off. If the weather is good, I might bike. There will be no running however. On Tuesday, I'm hoping to run twice again. I want to go to the Emmaus Run Inn group run. I haven't been there in awhile. It should be fun. Tuesday, I'd like to run some faster stuff. I might run a few mile repeats then, to see what kind of speed I have.
Long Run 18 miles - 2:01:19 (6:44 pace)
Recovery Run 3 miles - 27:17 (9:06 pace)
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