In It for The Long Run
My first long run goal was 2 miles. That was about 20 years
ago or so, but I remember how excited I felt when I reached that goal. My long
run goals today hit double-digits and are increasing. Training for my first
50-miler requires some serious long runs and I love them all!
I met my training partner and fearless friend this week for
a long run. Having been thwarted by fluctuating Michigan weather before, I
didn’t have any expectation of mileage or what we might achieve. She asked me for
my goals for the day and I said anything between 15 and 30 miles. She didn’t
share her goal for the day. We'd do what we can in the time allotted.
We met in Saugatuck and ran about 12 miles in town taking
walk breaks at each mile. We both felt good when we got back to our cars so we
did some math, actually she did the math. If we go out 6 miles on the trail and
come back, we should be at 24 miles. If we felt good, we could tack on a little
extra to make it 25 miles, a good goal for where we should be in our training
plan. I was feeling fatigued and a little achy, but not bad enough to cut the
day short.
On the way back toward the cars, we decided that since we
are so close, why not make it a proper marathon and hit 26.2 for the day? We
wouldn’t feel any worse at 26.2 than at 24 or 25, so why not? We got off the
trail and back to our cars at 24 miles and finished off the marathon distance
by heading back toward town again, where it was flatter than the trail. We were
both super proud of our achievement and where we stand in our training program.
Lessons learned
Sometimes not knowing how many miles or hours you might run
is a good thing. I had all day to devote to running with no specific time
to get home. As such, I didn’t monitor my watch and just enjoyed my time
running and talking. This was very freeing and the miles and hours passed
quickly.
My brain often sets bigger goals than my legs. I had no
problem heading out to the trail for extra miles, but expected to take more walk-breaks. Long runs are essential for testing gear, nutrition and for moving
the needle a little further toward race day targets.
Why I love the long run
I get to spend a lot of time outdoors in the city and on the
trails. I see something different every time I’m out there even if I’m on the
same route.
I enjoy quality time with friends over many miles. I also enjoy
time alone, working out things I want to do at home, with the family or for work;
and, occasionally listen to podcasts.
I love the quest to improve my running ability, test nutrition
and gear, and the constant endorphin-building that happens for miles and miles.
I’m proud of my accomplishment and I’m always happy when I
get home. Maybe a little tired, but always happy.
The long run is an essential part of my current training plan. They
don’t always go well, but they are always a learning experience. Bad runs also
make good ones, like this marathon training run, even better. This was definitely
a confidence-building long run!
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