Week 6 - The Long Run

The Plan called for 20 miles today. Ronnie agreed to take the kids to school so that I could run early with Lana. I checked the forecast before going to bed last night. It said that it would be 47 degrees at 5:00 and by 9:00 it would be nice and sunny. I decided that tights and long sleeves would be required.
I got up this morning at 5:00, ate a zone bar, and headed to the Rec Center to meet Lana. One the way I watched the “outside temp” gauge drop. It finally settled in at 42. I began to worry that I didn’t have on warm enough clothes. Lana pulled up and says “I don’t know if I have on enough clothes.” After stretching for a few minutes, we headed out. My hands were COLD. We had decided on the Normandy route, hills and all. This route takes us past Lana’s house at about 2 miles. It was a good thing because it didn’t take Lana long to discover she had on too MANY clothes. She took off her fuel belt and handed it to me, then her Garmin, then her jacket, a long sleeve shirt and finally a sleeveless top. How cold did she think it was???? She put back on the long sleeve shirt, Garmin, and fuel belt and we dropped the rest in her mailbox as we ran past. As she was striping, I was reminded of last winter and a similar highway striptease. I told her then that from now I had approve her running wardrobe, guess I need to do a layer check from now on.
It was very foggy for most of our run and we came real close to getting hit by a car one time. I know people think we are crazy out running on these country roads but there really is no where else to run 20 miles.
The Normandy route is the route we ride all the time and has two really significant hills and one hill of lesser importance. The good thing about these hills on a bike is the bad thing on foot; it is downhill leading up to a steep climb. On a bike the downhill helps build speed to make it up the other side but on foot I would rather have that relief of a downhill after a good climb.
I felt great running until we got into town and had to run on the sidewalks. I know that most of the pains were caused by my negative thoughts. Lana pulled ahead of me, she was chomping at the bit to be finished and I was thinking all those negative thoughts. It turns out that those last few miles were run as fast, if not faster then the asphalt miles.
We finished the run on the greenway and I saw Lana stop running and knew that I only had to make it that much farther. I picked up the pace and she cheered me on, getting a strange look from a guy on a bike. I finished the 20 miles in 3:14:46, 9:44 pace. Right on target and 59 seconds behind Lana.
I stopped in the Rec Center to sign Casey up for Basketball cheerleading then headed home for an ice bath and nap.
This time I got into the tub without water and filled it up with cold water. After adjusting to the shock of sitting in cold water, I dumped a bucket of ice in the tub. I don’t know how long I sat in the ice water because time seemed to be standing still. The ice did get all most completely melted before I got out and into a hot shower.
I went to sonic for a chicken wrap, then to the kids’ school to take pictures of the pizza party before going home again for my nap.
I am feeling great now. Another successful long run!!
Here are the splits for those of us that love numbers:
9:49, 10:07(Lana strips), 9:44, 9:36, 9:39, 9:42, 9:55, 9:48, 9:50, 9:46, 9:43, 10:08 (biggest hill), 9:55, 9:42, 9:52, 9:35, 9:32, 9:17, 9:27, 9:38
Heart rate:
Avg 163, Max 179