Last Long Run in the Bag

On Saturday morning Mike and I planned to meet up for our last long run before Boston. This run would be 16 miles along the Mallard Creek Greenway. Mike had just pulled up and we were chatting when out of the "blue" Billy Shue pulls up. Billy needed a few miles before he headed off for a boot camp workout.

Billy is always good for keeping the conversation going. That's one of the reasons why I always enjoy running with him.

Billy ran with us for about 6 miles before breaking off. Mike and I continued down the greenway and out by the UNCC annex before heading back to the cars.

When we finished we were chatting about how quickly this run seem to pass. I totally agree with this assessment. When one runs for 3 and ½ hours to complete 28 miles, running 16 miles can seem like a drop in the bucket. At this point, it should feel like a drop in the bucket. We had covered 16 miles in about 2 hours at what felt like conversation pace. My Garmin said we had been averaging 7:30 miles along the way.

So now that our last long run is in the bag, I have a couple of stressor workouts this week to complete my preparation. One will be later day and one on Thursday.

Charlotte is starting to warm up now that April is here. Couple this with Boston having a 10 AM start time. There is a good chance the temps are going rise for us. I know it is a little late in the game for heat training but I am pushing my runs back to lunch time.

My hope is this will provide my body with a reminder that I am going to be running later in the morning and it gives me a chance to start adapting to the warmer temperatures.

Boston is calling for 50s for the high next Monday. Certainly, this should feel cool for us southerners. But it is always better to err on the side of caution. Most runners will tell you that they would rather train hot and run cool. Thus, if I can get a in a few days of hot weather adaptation, it can only help my chances of running well.

 

Thoughts from Cool Down Runner