Notes
We got the long run in. I think doing a workout and a long run in is the definition of Weekend Warriors. Pollux was figuring out a route when he got a sparkle in his eyes when he introduced the idea of a drop off run from Greenley to Windsor. We had our route. However, 17 miles seemed more than I needed, so we agreed to drop my car off at another location to cut off upwards of 4 miles.
But with seeing Emma and Rebel off, getting ready, and driving to 2 locations, we didn't start until 9. Maybe the time wouldn't have mattered but Greeley was sunny unlike everywhere else we could see. This was not a welcome development.
We started on our designated Poudre Trail easily, but then things got more complicated. There was a closed gate across the trail that concerned me but didn't deter Pollux. The gate's purpose became clear within a half-mile though as we found a full fence blocking the path with a closed sign on it.
Less than a mile in, I was not happy with this run at all. I started to think about ways to nix it but instead became determined to find the path again as I knew I'd have 0 motivation if we just tried to stay around Greeley. We ran through the fairgrounds, found a parallel road, and eventually made a successful bid back to the trail around 3 miles.
Now that we were on our route, it didn't take long for the pace to drop from 7min to low 6:40's. By 8 miles, while I was still feeling good, I did start counting down the miles as well as looking (unsuccessfully) for a water fountain. Around 10 miles, I started to get concerned about my stride imbalances. I think I've done well with my stride given the achilles injury, but this many miles adds up and it seemed like my right hamstring and possibly right calf were getting overworked compared to my injured left. I tried to focus on a good stride but the real concern was just how many more miles did I have?
It was also about this time we started dipping under 6:40 miles. The sun and miles were certainly getting to us, but it's simply how we were trained to do long runs: we don't slow down. We got through another couple miles and reached the point on the bike path that Pollux had been before. He declared a mile to go so, of course, we ran nearly 6:20 for that mile. It ended up being another 1/2 mile but we basically maintained that pace.
A much different run than Tuesday's 90+ minutes, just 7 minutes longer but 5 more miles, also 10% of the elevation gain and much more sun (not to mention the harder surface). Today's also left me winded and dehydrated. A gas station stop for chocolate milk, Gatorade, and doughnuts followed by a day of lying around feeling groggy was all necessary. On the optimistic side, it's been a solid while since I've crushed a long run (and got crushed by).