First Long Run Complete!

Today's run went surprisingly well from start to finish.  I woke up at 5:30 this morning, had some coffee and answered some emails.  I checked the weather and the high for the day was only 80, so I purposely took my time before I left for my run.  Knowing that my productivity would plummet after running for 2+ hours, I figured I'd attempt to get as much done as possible within the next couple of hours while I was still capable.

I headed out the door at 8:15, and had a really easy pace going for the first eight miles.  There are no running trails in Norfolk, MA (or at least that I'm aware of), so most of my running is done on the street.  There are a lot of windy roads, however, and I was fortunate enough to only have to deal with people driving to church, and no speed demons.

  

I ran to Medfield and at my halfway point, I stopped in to a convenience store to buy some gatorade.  As I'm walking through the store, I receive a few quizzical looks.  I assume that this is resulting more from the fact that I look like I've just been sprayed down by a firehouse, and less of the fact that I have the whitest legs known to man.  I knock back the gatorade and I'm off for the second half of the run.  I'm running approx 8:30 minutes a mile, and aside from the wet clothes, I feel fine.  At mile 10, I run into my first and only issue of the run, and luckily it wasn't anything physical.  I had kept my debit card, a GU, and my iPod in the pouch of my running belt, and some water / sweat got into my iPod and caused it to stop working.  Fantastic.  (Somewhere, Chris Crook is reading this and laughing hysterically).

At 13 miles, I had an unexpected, but much welcomed, visitor.  Lauren was heading home from the gym and decided to see where I was.  Once she spotted me, she pulled over to the side of the road, and I jogged over to her.  After some chit chat, I "borrowed" what was left of the water she had, and went back at it.  It was a welcomed visit because this is where my run started to get difficult.

I was waiting for this to happen, and was happy that the tough part of the run started right at the two hour mark.  Yesterday's run was tough because it was hot.  Today, this part of the run was tough because my legs had had enough.  Completely different ballgame.  Anyway, I try to keep the same pace (8:45 - 9:00 minutes / mile) for the last three to four miles, and did so with moderate success.  I muscle through the last couple of miles, and finish my 18 mile run in 2 hours and 37 minutes.  Not bad.

The biggest success today wasn't the time or the distance of the run, but more so that I actually finished my first long run, and I did so in one piece.  The long runs should only get easier from here (emphasis on should).  And don't worry, I'll keep you posted on how they turn out...