The hardest easy run I've ever done

Getting ready for that long run!

Last week was good for training. At least I think it was good. Hopefully I didn't run too hard. My whole mantra for this marathon training cycle is running wise and preventing injuries (while at the same time meeting my time goals). I don't want much.

Anyway the week was good. I didn't have any tempo or interval runs planned, just some marathon paced runs and a long run. I wound up running faster than marathon pace everyday, except on my long run day. Sometimes 20 seconds per mile faster, and I really wasn't running hard. My average heart rate never went above 141 for any run.

I blame canceled running dates for some of the speedier days. I usually have two runs during the week with other people, which forces my pace to be slower, but last week I was ditched. And of course, left to my own devices, I tend to run a bit faster than I probably should. I blame that on my ridiculously low heart rate. It's like my cardio system wants to run faster, but my body threatens me with the possibility of injuries. Stupid body.

Then there was the long run. I was planning to run for 3 hours and 20 minutes, and I did, and I covered exactly 24 miles (according to my garmin). It was the hardest easy run I've ever done because I've never run that long for a training run. Also, the course I did was very challenging. The garmin claims I ran 4170 vertical feet. Apparently though, the garmin is woefully inaccurate when it comes to calculating vertical feet. As a result, I'm not sure how I can accurately convey the hilliness. I know I spent at least 45 minutes running up hills. There was a hill that was 3/4 of a mile long from the base to the top that I ran twice, and a number of other hills in the 1/4 mile range. Good times.

I ran the whole run at a fairly even pace. I started around 8:25 pace and stayed right around there for most of the run. I had a few miles under 8:00 (downhills probably). I had a brief moment at around 19 miles, where I couldn't help but wonder what I was thinking. (I still had more than 40 minutes to go.) The thought passed quickly though. It also happened at the point where I was passing my house for the second time. It takes a lot of mental fortitude to run right past your house after running 19 miles. Around mile 22, I got my second wind and starting feeling good again. I wound up running 7:49 for the last mile. I was shocked by the last mile. I hadn't realized that I picked up the pace. Oh, and my average heart rate...138.

Once I finished, I drank some water, ate a banana, used the foam roller, and took an ice bath. I wasn't too stiff for the rest of the day, but I'm a bit sore now. My goal for this week is to run slower, recover, and not get injured.

I have a question for you, how much (and what) nutrition do you take in during long runs? I drank 20 ounces of water and took 5 gel shots. That gave me 500 calories for a 3 hour, 20 minute run. I think I could have used more water, but that's all I could carry with me...

Marathon Training Week 5 (3/14 - 3/20)
Total Miles: 57.1
Total Time: 7:40
Average Pace: 8:03 min/mile

Marathon Training Week 4 (3/7 - 3/13)
Total Miles: 42
Total Time: 5:51
Average Pace: 8:21 min/mile

Marathon Training Week 3 (2/28 - 3/6)
Total Miles: 52.2
Total Time: 7:17
Average Pace: 8:22 min/mile

Marathon Training Week 2 (2/21 - 2/27)
Total Miles: 50.25
Total Time: 7:15
Average Pace: 8:39 min/mile

Marathon Training Week 1 (2/14 - 2/20)
Total Miles: 50
Total Time: 6:40
Average Pace: 8:00 min/mile