First 15 mile run

Well, our first 14 mile schedule run was this weekend. I ran from home so in total 14.9 miles (ok I rounded up to 15...close enough. I wasn't sure how the day was going to go because I had two pieces of pizza on Friday night, ice cream and then slept at home with no a/c. Neither of us slept much because it was so warm in the house. This was my first run without Marin with me because now it's Richard's turn to take her.

I felt good the entire run with even some gas in the tank at the end. Sharon and I brought the final 1/2 mile home running around 8 min/mile (7:44 when I looked at my watch). I'm very happy with the run and how I felt before it, during it and after it.

PACE: At some points, I found the pace challenging because we were running at a slower pace than I am use to lately. While that was probably a struggle, it's probably the reason why I had energy toward the end of the run. Diana was out running with us this week (she was on her bike) and she was very clear to remind us that pacing ourselves is key to a good run without hurting ourselves but also in finishing strong. That is my goal so I will listen to the experts in the crowd.

NUTRITION: I worked hard to remember my shot blocks and made sure to drink my water during the intervals. This may be the key to the stamina required (I suppose that sounds obvious but I will keep working on it).

RECOVERY: I think the recovery stretch makes a big difference in how I recover and how I feel for the rest of the day. I didn't even need a nap :-)

HEART RATE: My heart rate was lower than it is usually is after a long run. 158 vs 164 ... again proving the point that there was gas in the tank.

Sunday was a tough day because I was pretty tired. I slept 10 hrs Saturday night so I guess these things have a way of taking their toll on us. I keep reminding myself that if it were easy, everyone would do it. I guess that's why not everyone does it. I mentioned to someone at work this week that the run kicked my butt and their response was "maybe you should slow down". NOT a chance!!! That's the point. I can't accomplish my goal without getting my butt kicked a little.

I would like to run at 9:30 pace and then taking the walk breaks. I would like to keep aiming for an avg 10 min/mile. So far seems possible.