20 Miles
Whew;
Saturday I ran my longest run yet, and it was tough.
I’ve been increasing my mileage slowly, but this run really wore me out.
I certainly believe that I ran it way faster than I should, but I have had a tendency to do that with the running club I’m in.
I know several runners who are much more advanced than me. It works out on the shorter 10 to 12 mile runs, but 20 kicked my little butt.
There was an advantage though…. I got a taste for some of the pressure I’ll be under in Charlottesville.
I started having lots of pain in my right quad about mile 8, and began to question whether or not I should quit the run. Tom carried me through, though… He’s been a big help to me. This week he really helped me understand how to explore different nutrition schemes I can employ durring the longer runs.
In any event, having someone to talk to really keeps my mind off of the task at hand, and can even turn a tough run into an enjoyable one.
The run itself was beautiful as well.
High 40’s, sunny, and little breeze. A great morning for a run.
We ran past several sights that really inspire me:
- U.S. Capitol
- Washington Monument
- Smithsonian
- Haines Point
- And of course, ending at Iwo Jima is always inspiring.