You know those days when you feel light and fast and like you could run forever? Sunday was not one of those days. Last weekend I got really lucky with the weather for my long run, but this Sunday was hot, bright, and cloudless. I prepared for my third 20-miler as well as I could–I hydrated and beet-loaded, filled my water bottle halfway and froze it, and got to bed early on Saturday.
The route was a variation on the usual Brooklyn to Central Park run. I skipped Prospect this week and ran straight to the Brooklyn Bridge and up to Central Park, picking up my friend along the way. From the north end of the park we peeled off to Morningside Park, enjoyed* the hills of Morningside Heights, cut across Columbia’s campus, and ran south along Riverside Park. It was a beautiful day and a lovely route, but I really had to work for this one. I probably started off a little too fast given the heat, but I think this was mostly just a case of having an off day. Despite the struggle, I was happy that I was able to pull it together mentally enough to get through it. I keep reminding myself that having a lackluster 20-miler is still something of an uptown problem, especially compared to a few years back when I was trying to fight through and IT band injury.
Sunday also marked the end of what I’m thinking of as my first major training block for the marathon. Next week’s long run is only 15, and then I’m debating whether or not to squeeze in another 20 before the half marathon on Labor Day weekend. From there on, I’m taking advantage of the NYRR fall race calendar to spice up my long runs. As it stands right now, starting in September I’ll have a race every other weekend until the marathon. That is not to say that I’ll actually be racing them, but I thought that it might help dispel some of the pre-race anxiety to make the starting line feel a little more routine. It also gives me the chance to practice race day fueling and decide if I’m going to carry any of my own hydration for the marathon. It’s going to require some creativity to get the distances on my schedule in some cases, but I can always keep running after the finish line.
*By ‘enjoyed’ I mean, tried to convince myself that the burning in my quads was a unique gift from the universe, to be treasured and savored.
The Modernist Cavegirl 