Thoughts on the long run (Read 348 times)

Currently for me, a new "distance" runner(full marathon training), I like mid range runs the most. About 2 hours is just right, time wise(so for me, that's right around 13-14 miles). Long enough to feel good and zone out but short enough that I don't start thinking about all the things I have to do once I get home or that I am missing half the afternoon being gone from my family. Once my Spring full is over, I think my base LR will cap at around this mark(with the occasional few extra miles to stay fresh at distance). It just works for me and my life right now. Hopefully once I get older and my kids are bigger, I can let my mind and body wonder more.

Now if we are talking biking, I can let my mind wonder for nearly a whole day before I even remember I am married, let alone have 2 kids at home! Lol!

This is a funny thread to me in light of how things went for me yesterday.  I headed out the door into a ferocious south wind (18 mph with gusts up to 29) feeling pretty horrible and not much like running.  I thought, hey, maybe I’ll just bag this thing at 3 miles out (total 6) and go home.  In no way did I feel mentally up for a really big run.  After 3 miles, I thought, well, maybe I’ll get out to 4.5 or 5.  My mile splits were darn discouraging running into that wind – I was barely able to manage MP+90sec-2min.  But as things unfolded I started feeling a little better, and given the wind I started giving myself permission for those slow splits.  I got out in the country and figured I could keep pushing into that wind for another mile or two and could at least get a 13-er in the log book.  So, I kept going, but the pattern continued and I kept telling myself that maybe I would turn around at the next half-mile or mile point and head for the barn.

Somewhere around the 8^th mile, though, I finally felt like a runner and then it was all over – I told myself it was just time to cowboy up and cover the distance.  Out to my 10.5 turnaround point and back home for a 21-miler.

Yeah, I dread and hate the long run in general.  On the other hand, it sure feels good to have it in the bank (marathon runner’s dues), and it makes the training log kinda pretty.

I like long runs. When I slow down it feels like I could run forever.  ( until I hit 16 miles but then I'm almost home. )

well, today was much better.

Went out with the plan to do somewhere between 19 and 20 but only use heart rate as my pacing guide.  Mark Rice has a nice spreadsheet that calculates all the Pfitz training rates and my long run range is from 122 to 137.  Ended up with 19.25 @ avg of 128 - right where I should be.  And I actually felt good (well - as good as you can feel after 3 hours of running) for the whole distance.  Marathon now 4 weeks away.  One more long run next weekend then I start my taper - woo hoo.