Notes
Key workout for half marathon race next Sunday. This was a 12 mile long run with the ridge road hill in the middle of it. I did the first half slow, somehow kept a 8:30 pace up the hill, and then ran the second half roughly 20 seconds/mile faster than the first. I felt a bit wobbly during the first half but strong from the hill on. My legs were tired up the hill and during the second half, I think as much from the descent as the ascent. But my energy was good. At the end I felt nowhere near as tired as I've always felt after running that distance before, perhaps in part because I ran the first half so slow, perhaps in part because the 100k hike transformed me into superman. I also changed the watch setting from pace to average pace, where I think I'll keep it for the race. At the top of the hill it was 8:14 and I got it down to 8:04 at the end (although it turns out the average pace was 8:05). Lessons from today's run for next week's race: start just under target pace for mile 1, bring the average to target pace by 5 miles, bring it just under target pace during miles 6-9, then just try to hold on up the hill and make up whatever you lose during the last mile. More briefly, do not start out fast, do not try to bring the average pace far under the target before the hill (not faster than 7:30), but instead be confident that you can hold or nearly hold the target pace up the hill, and then fly during the last mile. Now take it easy this week.