Seriously, it was pretty tough going. First of all, I got a really late start - didn't leave my place until almost 7pm. Also, I hadn't eaten anything since lunch so I was pretty much running on an empty stomach. And lastly, I didn't really have a route mapped out so my run wasn't very scenic. I usually do my long runs on the beach, but since it was cold out and only a matter of minutes before sunset, I didn't want to run in the ocean breeze. What I did instead was zig-zag my way through several different residential areas nearby. I did this for about the first half of my run before taking about a 15 minute break to buy a pizza from next door so I'd have something waiting for me when I got back home.
With a little over 9 miles left before hitting my 20-mile mark, I decided to run a straight-shot down Venice Blvd and back after hitting the beach (about 4.5 miles each way) to complete my run.
Then came my low point.
Since I had recently purchased a new camera holster at REI, my camera went along with me to document my run. Around mile 15 or so after snapping a couple of pictures, another late night male runner was coming up behind me. Instantly, my primitive male ego took over and I started running again to prevent him from catching up to me...without securely zipping up the little camera bag.
Not only did he pass me about .5 miles later, but a few steps later, out flew camera. It hit the asphault with a sickening sound and my heart immediately sunk. After slowly picking it off the ground, I was devasted to find that the image screen was busted and no longer working although the camera itself could still take pictures. I was devasted.
I started fatiguing pretty badly from about mile 16. Legs were getting heavy with each passing step and my spirits were down. By mile 18, I started taking walking breaks. How was I ever going to get through a full 26.2 at this rate, I wondered.
Thankfully, at mile 19 my spirits lifted a little so I decided to try and finish strong. Slowing my goal marathon pace by a minute or two, I shuffled my way the last mile to the finish.
I immediately made a beeline to the Long's Drugstore across the street where I promptly downed a 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade and bought a 3 lbs bag of ice for my post-long run soak. Pizza was cold by the time I came back but devoured it anyway.
Final running time = 3:06:48.
Average pace = 9:09
Need to do better.
3 comments:
Woah Billy - you might have wanted to consult with me a bit before busting out that 20. Probably wasn't necessary, and may not have been the greatest idea, since you literally just ran a monster-tough 14 miler to trash the legs.
Make sure you get some really good rest in the upcoming days. Now's pretty much too late to get any real endurance bonuses (from 20 milers), but it's a good time for fast, low-mileage leg turnover activities such as sprints and VO2s.
You can take a look at the Pfitz plans (link on my blog) if you want an idea of a good mileage cutdown, but I'd follow your plan if you've got one.
Take it easy until race day - you had a pretty hardcore week!
sorry about yer camera!
That's the thing Willis - I have no plan other than a tempo once a week and a long run on weekends. Everything in between I've varied.
So assuming I run the PV Half Saturday, what should my game plan be for the remaining couple of weeks? Just low mileage tempo and sprints? Any longish runs beyond say, 10 miles?
Appreciate the feedback.
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