Well, I was cursing probably the whole time. First off, they all had headlamps, I did not. You couldn't see anything. I was saying to myself, "F*ing great! I'm going to fall and get injured after all this training for my A race. Awesome." Definitely turned my ankle a handful of times but didn't fall. I looked at my pace a couple of times and was running in the 8s. The whole plan was the tempo run so I was just not feeling the trails or the run. We ended up with just over 7 miles in the end, and later in the morning I did 4 tempo miles on the treadmill at my tempo pace (7:45). I felt good. For the next 3 weeks I will probably stick to the treadmill for my tempo and speedwork since I can control it!
This morning's long run was at the Wissahickon Trail. I think the group I joined is so cool in that people host each week and bring tons of food and lay out water stops. I'm so happy that my former colleague Bill told me about it. Thanks Bill! This week I haven't slept too well and I think my body was tired from Thursday's running. As soon as I started off, I was not feeling it. I started running with Bob who I've ran with time to time - he runs around 8 to 8:40 pace & today I just wasn't feeling it and ended up running by myself. It wasn't a good run but I finished it. 11 miles at low 9's pace. I think I need to stretch and rest the body!
What are your thoughts on the long run? Is 11 miles even a long run, I'm not sure anymore. I'm training for a 10 miler. I've been running 4 days: speedwork, easy, tempo, long. I think the long run needs to be more on the easy side, but I've been running it a bit faster than easy pace. Easy pace is probably around 9:00 mile and a bit faster is around 8:30 pace. What pace would you do your long runs in training for a 10 miler?
I wish you'd told me you were down at Wissahickon today! I would have come said hello :) I had a lazy morning but remedied it with two hours of trail running around noon. Such a nice day!
ReplyDeleteI'd generally keep the long runs on the slow side, incorporating some race pace miles occasionally.
ReplyDelete:) your awesome!
ReplyDeleteI try to run my long runs slower but if im feeling good, i run like the wind!
You're way speedier than I will probably ever be, so my pace for a long run wouldbe very different than yours!
ReplyDelete11 miles is definitely a long run! I try to do my long runs at an easy "conversation" pace so it changes from time to time.
ReplyDeleteIt was good to see you yesterday although I don't think I'll ever be running fast enough to actually run with you! But I do love the Wissahickon Trail. Most of it is so wide that it's easy to avoid puddles from rain the night before or others on the trail. I think your distance is fine in preparation for Broad Street. I'm aiming for the ODDyssey Half after Broad Street and I won't do more than about 14 running up to that. As for pace, I try to do at least some miles at tempo during a long run -- even better if they are near the end. Otherwise, I aim for my target race pace when it's close to an up-coming event.
ReplyDelete10 milers are hard... you want to run your longer runs faster, but you still need them to be slower than your speed work and tempos. But I kind of go by feel on my longer runs. Some day's it's faster than others.
ReplyDelete