Long run

Rather fantastically satisfying long run this afternoon.

It began inauspiciously - I could not for the life of me get out of bed - and then once I finally got up, I felt much more like frittering away an hour on the internet than on getting myself out the door! With the upshot that I wasn't heading out till nearly two o'clock, having missed the cool morning hours and on a grand total of 360 calories (2 bottles of Starbucks mocha frappuccino, which pretty much seems to me the ideal pre-run or pre-race source of nutrition...).

Pretty warm/sunny, but WINDY, too - first miles were arduous, the wind was unusually coming from the south rather than the north! But it really was a good run - I wanted to 12, but wasn't wedded to the notion, however around mile 5 I realized how mentally easy the run was feeling compared to long runs in previous weeks - and that it was really my best chance to get in at least one two-hour run before the half in 2 weeks. (I may do one more next Saturday, but 90 minutes is probably just as sensible, given long bike ride the next day.)

I guess I should press the lap button at the turnaround to get HR averages for the two halves of the run - I am pleased to see that the 6-mile turnaround does indeed fall at Charles St. according to the Garmin, I was laughing to myself remembering a run I had a year or two ago with Brent where we were going on time rather than distance - we turned around exactly there, at the 1:00 mark, but I felt mild chagrin at not forging my way down to Houston St., which I mentally think of as 6 miles away and which the Polar footpod also designated thusly!

Anyway, a highly enjoyable run. Legs quite fatigued in last 4-5 miles (yesterday's bike ride, generally insufficient run mileage), but in a way that is enjoyable rather than dreadful; some lower-back soreness, I must start doing those core exercises again.

The HR zone alert function on the Garmin is delightful, BTW; I could never use the Polar one, because the beep was so aggressive and annoying, but I used it today to keep myself resolutely in zone 2, and it worked very well indeed...

12 miles, 2:01:45, avg HR 143, max HR 154, avg pace 10:08