So yesterday I went out for my longest long run yet - 7 miles. I have been really nervous about this part of my training for the Philadelphia Distance Run - pretty much every week for the about 4 weeks in a row I will be stretching my distance. And you know what . . .
It totally rocks!!!!
I had an awesome run yesterday, and it really lifted me out of a 10-day old funk I've been in. It's a combination of a number of different things. Mostly my job (which is stressful), but combined with post-vacation blues, and a sense of not being sure where I am headed right now. Anyway, whatever the cause, I have found myself not accomplishing much, and feeling pretty down about myself.
It's amazing how running farther than you have ever run before in your life can lift your spirits!
Some of the details:
- I ran on Forbidden Drive in Fairmount Park. For those of you not from Philadelphia, so not familiar with this gem just a half mile from my home, let me tell you a bit about it. It is a path (road?), that runs along the Wissahickon Creek from the edge of the city 5.5 miles to Lincoln Drive (read about it on the Friends of the Wissahickon website). It is called "Forbidden Drive" because it is off-limits to cars. Runners, walkers, picnic-ers, bikers and horses are OK. One of the great things about running on Forbidden Drive is that it is one of the few places I have ever run where subjectively most of the run feels like you are running downhill! The hills are so gradual that you only really notice most of them when you are at the top of them, and so you feel like you are running downhill in both directions. It is also beautiful. It can be quite busy on a summer weekend (like yesterday), but that doesn't bother me much.
- Usually I don't check my splits. It seems - I don't know - kind of serious to care so much about how fast I am running each mile. However, I have decided that it is worthwhile to do that on my long runs since I am getting close to my first big event (the Philadelphia Distance Run is on 9/21) and I need to know how to pace myself. Well, I did really well with my negative splits. Here's how they came out:
Mile 1 - 12:02
Mile 2 - 11:50
Mile 3 - 11:53
Mile 4 - 11:18
Mile 5 - 11:32
Mile 6 - 11:52
Mile 7 - 11:14
Overall pace 11:40! This was my 5K pace just a few months ago!
- Best of all, after the first 2 miles or so I felt GREAT! Honestly, it was taking everything I had, but I just felt wonderful! I sailed through the last mile, it was amazing.
So now I am looking forward to hitting those other milestones (an 8-miler next week, then a 10-miler 2 weeks later). Woo-hoo, bring it on!
