I'm polishing off the end of my post-long run feast (veggie cheeseburger, loaded baked potato and spinach salad), anxiously awaiting the beginning of the Maryland-Duke game at one. There are few things I love more, especially during the long, cold mid-Atlantic winter than ACC basketball. The rivalries are huge and the intensity never lacks. Watching a game is the best way to spend a Saturday afternoon, especially when you're recovering from a 20 miler.
My goal was to leave the house by 7:30 this morning, so when I was out the door at 7:35, I was really impressed. I'm not always that punctual, especially when it comes to things like running 20 miles in the cold. Since the snow storm, I was afraid that my favorite trails would be covered in 2+ feet of snow, so I took to the streets. Running against traffic, I got a new perspective of some of my favorite routes, and found some new roads. My goal was to run negative splits, so I started out liberally at a 10 minuter per mile pace. It was hard to run that slow at first and kept reminding myself to slow down. Once I hit the ten mile mark, I tried to aim for 9:50s instead. There were some spots during the run that I felt really good and was able to push it below 9 minute miles after the 17 mile mark, which gave me a lot of confidence that during my race, I'll also be able to find that second (or third or fourth) winds to push a little harder. I felt a lot better than I did during my last 20 miler a month ago. It's reassuring that my training the past month has done something.
Also, Fairfax county is hilly as shit! My total ascent was 1829, with a descent of 1790. Miserable. I know the course is a lot flatter, so that gives me a lot more confidence as well. I have a 22-miler next Saturday and then a shorter long run the Saturday after. I really only have two weeks left of training before my taper. Crazy. A month ago, it seemed like my race was so far away, and now it's only 5 weeks!
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