It's been quite some time since I ran more than 25K's. I've been running mostly for fun and fitness since my last race in June 2010. The race was called the Self-Transcendence 6-Hour Race. It took place in Kingston at the Royal Military College. There is an 800 Metre circle that encloses the College and the goal is to run as many laps as possible in 6 hours and then the mileage is calculated. I managed to complete 58.6 K's on that day. Although my goal was 60 K's, I was still happy with what I had accomplished.
Even now when I look back at some of the races that I have competed in, including attempting a 100 mile race and finishing several 50 Mile and 50 K races, it really makes me proud. I only discovered running 6 years ago and it really has catapulted me into a whole new way of life.
So why, despite the fact that I have finished so many long distant events, was I especially nervous the night before my long run (27K) on Saturday? I suppose it could be my mind trying to convince me that all those long runs were done when I was training more seriously. Maybe it was mind telling me that I bit off more than I could chew and that perhaps I should run the 1/2 Marathon in the fall instead of the full?
In any case, I woke up on Saturday morning at 5:30 prepared to run 27K no matter what. Before I stepped out the door I had my usual tea with 1/2 banana and packed my 2, 10 Oz. water bottles. One was filled with water while the other was filled with a Vega Sport drink I've been using. I brought along a small amount of E-Load FLY which is a carbohydrate power (Maltodextrin) and also a sports gel. Finally I brought $1.25just in case I needed to purchase more water along the way.
The reason why I only brought along 2 water bottles was because I was going to run from my house to the Ajax waterfront trail,run to the end and then turn around and come back. Not only is the route picturesque, it also has 2 places where I can refill my water bottle.
At 6:30 AM I started my journey. The weather was 27 degrees so I knew I was in for a hot run. As has been my custom, I didn't bring a watch with me and I have really enjoyed just running by "feel." This has been something that I've really enjoyed but it has taken me years to get comfortable doing. I pay close attention to my breathing and I also focus on my foot strike during the time I'm running. Every time I thought that I was running too fast, I reminded myself that this was my long slow run. I kept repeating that over and over in my mind and it helped me to relax. The first water break came at 6 miles and I was actually surprised at how quickly that came. I didn't feel like stopping but I made the right choice to stop and fill up. It was another 3 miles to the next water break and as I ran to that spot my legs became even stronger so I decided to run a little longer than I had planned.
I ran a little bit past the water stop, stopped and then turned around and started my journey back home. After ingesting my gel, it was time to head back to finish my run. My legs were still feeling pretty good although my hamstrings were starting to get a little tight. I slowed down the pace just a little bit and eventually the pain went away. I made it to the last water stop feeling pretty good. I filled up one of my bottles with the E-Load FLY powder and off I went.
Because I had added extra distance to the run I wasn't sure exactly how far I had gone. The heat, though, was starting to intensify as I left the coolness of the waterfront trail. I had enough water to probably get home but I also was starting to feel dehydrated so I made the smart move to stop at strip mall to get some water. Remembering that I only brought $1.25 with me I went to the dollar store to get some water. Unfortunately, much to my surprise, the dollar store was closed and I had to go to Mac's for my water. The cheapest water they had was over $2.00 but thankfully the manager must have noticed how much I needed the water so he generously gave me a bottle.
Armed with some much needed cold water, I now felt more confident about completing this run. I poured some of the water on my head and drank the rest. The last part of the run really tested my inner strength. Not only was the weather getting warmer, my mind was trying to convince me to walk, not run, home. I knew, though, that this run was going to be the run that I needed if I was actually serious about completing my fall marathon. I remembered the many times in previous races where I had to dig down deep to finish strong. I used my last few KM's as a rehearsal for how I want my Marathon finish to look like. There is nothing quite like the feeling of finish a race whether it's a 5K or 50K it all feels great to finish strong.
As I rounded out my run I picked up the pace and felt amazing. Not only did I finish my longest run in a year, I now had something that I could bookmark and use to motivate me as my training increases in intensity. When I got back into my house and checked my mileage I noticed that I had actually run 19 miles (30.4 KM's) in 2 hours and 55 minutes.
On Sunday I ran a 10 K tempo run and as I type this today (Monday July 25th) my legs still feel great and I am armed with a great experience from the weekend and ready to start another week of training. I learned two important lessons from this weekend:
1) Embrace the challenge and enjoy the journey! There were times during the run, just as there will be during my marathon, where my mind was focused on the finish of the run. If all my attention is focused on being done then I'm really not focused on the actual run itself. I never want to run with this type of attitude because then I won't appreciate the hard work that goes into the training. The Marathon will be a crowning achievement to all the hard work that I have been doing and I don't want to cheat myself from that.
2) Next time bring more than $1.25 when I go for a long run!
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