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Sunday, April 21, 2013

Sometimes long runs are great except for clothing.

I ran my last long run yesterday.  Well, the last one before my marathon, which is exactly a week from today.


Now, I've run 10 mile races much faster.  But never have I run a training run that fast.  I felt strong throughout, especially when I realized that one of the houses along this route had gotten a new Jack Russell Terrier-type dog that had not been trained to stay on the correct side of the street.  I even felt strong running the last three miles into the winds, which were MUCH stronger than 6 mph, by the way.  

I just kept telling myself the pace was challenging, but doable.  I must remember this a week from today when I am suffering in mile 19 and want to lay down and cry in the middle of the course.

What was difficult about this run was my clothing.  I normally just go out in running capris and a base layer in 40 degree temps, but the wind was pretty cold, so I wore a windbreaker as well.  However, because the wind was at my back for the first 2 miles, I took it off and tied it around my waist. Then the gels I had put in one of the pockets kept slapping me in the leg, and the whole jacket kept sliding over to the right and I had to readjust it every 5 minutes.  I finally gave up in mile 6 and put the jacket back on, taking off the detachable hood so it wouldn't be flapping around wildly behind me in the wind.  Then I took my gloves off.  Then I put them back on.  Then I took them off.  And put them back on again.

Irritating.  But it was so sunny and I was happy I didn't have to wear 4 layers of clothing that I wasn't letting it get me all irritated and cranky.  I let the wind do that.

Anyhoo, this next week the taper will smack me full on in the face.  Take a look at the last week on my training schedule:



I don't know what I will do with all of my free time.  Maybe I will have more than 10 minutes in the morning to get dressed, do my makeup and hair, and leave for work--and I may even actually arrive more than 2 minutes before I'm actually supposed to get there.  But hopefully I can keep it together mentally this week not to do more than what's on the schedule.

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