Notes
Fantastic long run; a full 24 miles down to the Museum of Sci & Industry bridge and back. Felt strong, in control, and confident the entire run. A small amount of pain in the side of my leg, and in my hamstrings, but nothing major (possibly cramps). Pace was fine -- steady, not strained. HR data confirms that this was a comfortable run from an aerobic perspective. Indeed, this may be the lowest HR I've ever had for a run of this distance.
Garmin shut off at mile 22.5 (battery) so the last 1.35 miles are an estimate. However, I know I was still running strong, so I'd actually guess that I'm underestimating my pace by a small amount. (Garmin battery life is going to be an issue for the full; may need to get a new one or reconsider using it.)
Ran a large portion of the run with the Ready to Run 20 milers. Despite a little crowding with a few of the larger packs, in general they gave me little problem. The walkers for the charity event, however, were a major PITA on the way back around Buckingham Fountain. I came pretty close to knocking out a clueless little girl, but it was totally her fault. :)
In general, this was an excellent confidence builder. I'm quite confident that I could have tacked on another 2.2 miles at the same (or even better) pace, which would have been the equivalent of a 3:44 marathon. Granted, you don't get to turn off the clock for water breaks during a real race, so its not exactly the same, but a great run nonetheless.
Not to be lost in the mix is the fact that I just finished an 80 mile week, my first ever if memory serves. Certainly my first without an off-day long run. The fact that I was able to kick out this run at the end of an 80 mile week is awesome. Now ... bring on the taper (and maybe the speed work -- ugh).