Long run #15

I was in a scramble of lateness all day - I had to drop off the cat at the catsitter, pick up my computer from my office, purchase ice for projected ice-bath and write and upload a letter of recommendation before I could set out for my long run, and it was all catch-up thereafter. I arrived at the pool about ten minutes early for my 3pm lesson only to learn that the pool was closed today!

Normally I would be very disappointed, but in fact it was for the best - mental and physical acuity not at their best post-long run! So I had a nice if brief chat with I. and got a ride back down along Riverside Drive in the family minivan, seated between 2 very lively baby twins in car seats - they were pretty pleased that there was someone to pay attention to them!

My run this morning was excellent. I was a bit nervous about it, because it was my one and only 20-miler - it really needed to go well! But it was the most idyllic morning (in fact it is now in the 60s, but it was sunny and mid-50s for most of my run), I got an adequate amount of rest the last two nights and it really could not have gone better. I am sorry my schedule didn't have 3 20-milers, this seems to me desirable, but there was nothing to be done about it.

(Hmmm, my HR monitor is acting up, that is the one thing that could have gone better! I am not giving HR avg for the last miles, because the numbers are in the high 160s and 170s and that just wasn't right - it was giving me those numbers as I ran, but if I paused the clock it immediately gave me a HR more in line with my subjective impressions, i.e. top half of the 150s or bottom 160s rather than mid-170s which, trust me, I would know if I was in! Not sure what to do about this - I assume the avg HR the device gives me for the whole run is also incorrectly high, but it actually may be more in line with reality.)

So I ran south through my bit of the park and then onto Cherry Walk, which you can follow up to the greenway link and all the way to the base of George Washington Bridge. Then I turned around and went all the way down to Chambers Street, then back up to 116th. It was very good all the way - I was aiming for 9:30 miles for first two-thirds of the run, and round about marathon pace (9:08) for the last third, and I actually really had to hold myself back for the last part - I naturally wanted to fall in more like around 8:45 or 8:50. So this was a very heartening and confidence-building run, very nice indeed. I did take some short breaks (a couple bathroom visits, a couple slightly extended water-and-gel-consuming breaks), and turned the clock off for those, so it is not exactly marathon conditions, but good nonetheless.

21.2 miles - 3:18:38 - avg pace 9:22 - avg HR 159

1 9:50 (144)
2 9:24 (150)
3 9:28 (150)
4 9:11 (153)
5 9:40 (158)
6 9:18 (158)
7 9:28 (158)
8 9:08 (151)
9 9:20 (152)
10 9:32 (150)
11 9:26 (151)
12 9:30 (150)
13 9:12 (157)
14 ?
15 ? (recording glitch - split up into bits!)
16 9:02
17 9:01
18 9:04
19 9:00
20 9:04
21 9:18 (includes brief but steep hill!)

I felt strong when I finished - I was glad to stop, but I could have kept running 9-minute miles for some more miles if someone had given me a significant incentive to do so!

Total week #15 miles: 41

Now - TAPER!

I will stop blogging now and go and use the hour the canceled swim lesson has bought me to get the work stuff I need to bring with me on my trip in order! I have an important work dinner this evening downtown, which will unavoidably keep me out till 10:30 or 11, so I need to seize the moment...

Next up: Pirates Week!