Long Run Day

For some reason I wasn’t looking forward to my long run, I think it’s because I did 19 miles last week so I new what to expect, I knew I had to run for a good 3 and a half hours around the streets of my local area on my own. I like running on my own as I’ve always done it to have me time, just me and my music but running for that amount of time is a totally new ball game. Once I get out I’m usually ok, having the same arguments in my head about how I should just give up and go home because I can’t do this but the other side saying you can do this you’re not a failure. Thankfully the positive always wins at the moment.

Today’s run was to be about 32 km (20 miles) my longest run ever again, I’d worked a route out the night before so I was prepared and knew where to go. That looked so far!

I got up and had a coffee and porridge, not as early as I’d hoped because I needed to be out by 8.30am as I needed to be home by 12.30 but I thought an hour to an hour and half would be ok to digest the porridge, it’s not like a massive meal. I got all my energy gels and water sorted and headed out the door. The weather was ok cloudy, not too windy and warmer than it has been at about 5 or 6 degrees.

The run wasn’t going too bad,I was trying to pace myself at anything between 6.30km/6.45km, but by the time I got to about 12 km I started to slow. I have no idea why but I was struggling. Maybe it was because I was trying just gels and water rather than using tailwind (a powder you mix with water and drink). I managed to keep the pace at under 7km until about 21km then I had to give in to walk breaks for the rest of the run. I walked and ran the last 11k but as much as I struggled, hurt, wanted to give up and never run again I managed to do the 32km (20 Miles). I felt disheartened even though I had just completed my longest run ever and still at a pace that I could complete a full marathon within the time I was aiming for (under 5 hours). I was hurting, I was tired and it’s the first run that I’d really not enjoyed!

I have one more really long run to get through next week before I start tapering, I can’t wait.

Here’s a few pics that I took on my run.