Long run. Really good run. Ran relaxed all the way, picking up some speed toward the end even though I was trying hard to back off. I really felt like I was jogging the last four miles, though they were coming in under 6:20. Legs felt very fresh through 17 miles, then a small amount of fatigue gathered, but didn't amount to much. By the time I decided to end the run, I felt like I could have continued at that pace for a long time. No soreness to speak of, no fatigue...hell, I didn't even want to stop! =)
Overall heart rate averaged about 147, with the first fifteen at 143, and the last six around 152. Recovered to 120 in 1:05, and just about to 110 in 3:00--never quite got there and stopped timing. Standing around heart rate before the run was 57, so a bit elevated from yesterday's run. Temps were warm (60+ the last few miles), the sun was out, and I was overdressed at the end, which may have contributed to the slow recovery.
I discussed with Mystery Coach the value of doing a longer, marathon duration run (2:30) versus the 2:10 that was prescribed for today. I had been reading Buddy Edelen's biography recently, as well as Ryan Hall's blog (which I found yesterday...thanks Fatboy!), and both had mentioned some variation on either covering the marathon distance or duration several weeks before the goal race. I had also been dithering over the missed long run from a few weeks ago, when I was supposed to go 2:15 to 2:30, but ended up bonking and stopping around 2:00. I felt a 2:30 run today would be good mentally, and it couldn't hurt from a 'familiarity' standpoint. One of the reasons that training works, in my opinion, is that the body and the mind become familiar with the efforts that they are put through--they understand what is coming, what is expected, and they deliver the performance. It fits in nicely with the Central Governor model that Tim Noakes has proposed, and it makes sense to me.
Anyway, nothing can quite prepare you for the marathon as well as running a marathon. That is a classic conundrum. So, I decided to go with the Mystery Coach, as I usually do, and cap the run at just a touch over the recommendation, since I was still feeling fine. There is a much more key back to back coming up next week, and it will be important for me to be 100% recovered going into it. Today was a day to do no harm.
Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury
2 comments:
Ahhh, I just knew it. Nice run today, enjoy the "sleep of the just" that a 21 miler at 6:24 pace earns you. That's some week you've had, especially coming off of a half marathon.
Wonderful long run and nice write up. Impressive.
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