The Long Run

In an effort to simulate race-morning conditions I had a couple of packets of instant oatmeal for lunch before heading out on the long run. I washed it down with a bottle of Gu2O since that's the drink they'll be giving out at Delaware. Gu2O is kind of nasty for anybody who is wondering. It's not the worst thing I've ever had but it's not in the least like the kool-aid flavor of Gatorade and Powerade.

We parked at Oaks near the restrooms and our plan was to run on the trail to VF, where there are water fountains and restrooms, come back to the car (and bathroom) and then head the other way on the trail to the center of town where there are stores so we could buy food or drinks to refuel. The weather was great yesterday but there was a good breeze and we couldn't quite settle on outfits (long or short sleeves?) and so we were able to stash extra clothes in the car, which we didn't need.

I tried out a new pair of shorts from Title 9 that worked out great and I think I'm probably going to wear in the race. The shorts I used to love from last year are all really floppy and make me look like I have even more enourmous hips than I actually do. Plus they have liners like spandex tights that keep creeping up. That didn't seem to happen last year but it's driving me nuts this year. Anyway, these didn't move around too much and were comfy all day. Here's hoping they'll be good for race day.

My waterbottle was filled with Gatorade Endurance formula (undiluted at first) which I topped off with water at VF and then refilled with full strength Endurance for the second out and back section. Much better than Gu2O!

We were taking it easy at first, walking to a streching point and then picking up the pace. I stayed with Brian longer than I usually do which was good because that meant that we were talking a little bit and that my pace was controlled and slow enough. Eventually I decided to time a mile and that one clocked in at 11:22 and it felt like a walk in the park. I didn't keep continuous time because I didn't want to get caught up worring about pace. After stopping for water, and eating an Espresso Love Gu, I ran most of the way back to the car and timed a mile in there at 11:25. No more timing though, for the rest of the day.

We had a longer than expected stop here because Brian had an issue with sunscreen in his eye so it took a few minutes to fix that properly and then we were on our way. At this stage we had somewhere between 7 and 8 miles under our belts -- probably closer to 7 -- and we both felt great.

I don't have much to report on this leg even though it was the longest part of the run. The trail here is gravel, which I like since it's softer, but Brian isn't thrilled with for fast walking. I didn't run nearly as consistantly on this section but it wasn't terrible either. I had a harder time keeping pace and I blame that on the music and the fact that I wasn't sticking around near Brian as much as I had before.

When we hit 5.5 miles out we finished up the Gatorade, refueled (I had a pack of Clif Blocks) and bought water and a bottle of regular gatorade at WaWa. My legs felt good and I ran a pretty good portion of the way back too but I know I was stopping more and more. Once we got off the gravel and back on the paved section I could really feel the paved road pounding my legs and I totally wanted to stop running but watching Brian pull away kept me at it.

You can see the peaks and valleys of running but over all it was a pretty solid effort and one I think I'd be happy with in the real race. My fuel tank was still pretty full at the end and we shared a bottle of some strange protein drink I got at GNC on a whim. It was pretty tasty but I don't think my stomach liked it much. My legs feel great today though!

The whole thing took us about 4.5 hours and I think we covered about 18 miles -- maybe a little more but it was good enough in my book!

Next up: Broad Street Run!