June 1st, 2009 – Half Marathon Training Long Run

First week to change the distance of the long run.  Now it is 11 miles.  Just another 10% increase, but still, it seems like a lot of miles.  Still, honestly, 11 miles IS a lot of miles.  Who am I kidding?  Have I made a fatal judgment call in my choice to run a half marathon?  Well, OK, fatal is a bit melodramatic.  I know better.  I can finish a half marathon.  I don’t even believe that to be an outstanding issue for me.  It becomes whether or not I want to compete in a half marathon.  I have decided I want to compete, and that means I’ve got to do more than just finish.  So, 11 miles it is!

The run started out really well.  I’ve somewhat gotten accustomed to 8 miles so I don’t really feel any serious issue for the first hour or so of the run.  Since I’m running at roughly 7 miles per hour, an 11 mile run is over 90 minutes.  I think that’s the part now that I’ve got to get my head around.  I’m running 90 minutes or more nonstop.  This isn’t close to race pace, so it is definitely about the psychology of it more than anything.

Right about mile 8, I noticed the most disgusting thing I have encountered since I started this odyssey.  My sweat was so bad my shoes were squishing from them being full of my sweat!  VOMIT!  Not really vomit, but that was quite surprising.  It meant the last 3 miles felt less than stable and I honestly saw it starting to get onto the tread.  I still haven’t got the foot pod in synch.  It thought I ran 12.18 miles when I only ran 11.25.  I really need to get that worked out, it’s sort of annoying.  I will admit I think I had the thing on my foot backwards and that was causing at least part of this.  Still, I don’t quite understand how the different treadmills can have different calibration factors.  I’d think my gait was the same either way and that’s what I thought the calibration was supposed to reflect.  I guess it is all more important now because I’m doing distance based training and of course it won’t cooperate! :-)

Housekeeping:  11.25 miles in 1:37:54, for an average pace of 8:44 per mile.  I like that my quarter mile cool down can no longer drop my average pace below the target.  1265 calories burned.  The run was predominately zone 3, though in the last mile I got right up to my anaerobic threshold.  I think part of it was honestly just the anxiety of my wet feet.

My legs are still sore from the failed speed work run.  I’m nervous about what I did there.  I don’t want it to be a problem, but I also don’t know how to get it to resolve.  I’ve got soreness in my left Achilles, my right knee and hamstring, and my left knee and calf.  Oh well.  Worst case scenario, I take a week off and then pick the program back up.  Fortunately, it is slated to end in early September, while the race isn’t until November, so I’ve got some wiggle room.

Cheers!