Day 214, 151 To Go

August 2, 2013

I'm glad its Friday.  It has been a good week of running and today I feel pretty good.  I'm looking forward to some good runs on the weekend and also some time with the family to relax.  Last weekend was super busy and I am hoping this weekend will be super not busy!

Honey was back out there with me today and we ran on the golf course for the entire run.  It is so peaceful out there.  The temperature is a little bit cooler and the variety in the terrain and the up and down of the golf course makes the run go so much faster and easier.  Yes, it is technically a harder run, but you don't feel like it is.  Honey would disagree as she is not used to any hills while running at all.  I mean, it's not like there are HILLS, but there are gentle up and down slopes as you would expect on a golf course (a golf course in Florida, that is).

We'll take a look at the numbers in a little bit.  For now, let's get back to The 25 Golden Rules of Running from Runner's World magazine.  Today is rule #10.

10. The 20-Mile Rule
Build up to and run at least one 20-miler before a marathon.

"Long runs simulate the marathon, which requires lots of time on your feet," says Gina Simmering-Lanterman, director and marathon coach of the Denver Fit training program. "And knowing that you can run 20 miles helps you wrap your head around running 26.2."

The Exception: Some coaches believe experienced marathoners can get by with a longest run of 16 to 18 miles, while other coaches suggest runs up to 24 miles.

This is of course a specific rule for those training to run a marathon.  That is not everyone, but even if you think you will NEVER run a marathon, it is good to know the rule, because things change and you may change your mind.

When I trained for the ING NYC Marathon, my training plan called for 2 runs of 20 miles; both of which I did.  The first went well while the second, not so well.  I did them though.  It was important, mentally more so that physically, that I did it.  When I finished the first one I thought, "I can do it...I can run another 6 miles."  After the 2nd run, though, I didn't feel as good, but I chalked it up to the fact that it was raining the whole time and maybe I just didn't feel that good that day.

Physically, a run of this length will give you the endurance you need and the experience of running for a really long time and distance.  This is important, as you can imagine.  Mentally, as I said above, it proves to you that you can actually do it.  Some coaches will say that you shouldn't run more than a 3 hour run, even when training for a marathon, but unless you are experienced, I don't think this will work.  It all depends on how fast you run.  If you run a 10 - 12 min mile, you will only be running 15 - 18 miles.  That might not be enough, unless, as the rule says, you are experienced.

As a first time marathoner, I think the 20 mile run is an important milestone. So, if your goal is to run a marathon

Here are our numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.22 miles

Pace: 11:17/m

Max Pace: 9:54/m

Calories: 211
Avg HR: 113

Max HR: 121

The time was a little slower than our previous run, but considering the more difficult terrain, it wasn't too bad.  Honey is rockin' it!  Until next run...

Run for Life!