Day 38: The Perfect Long Run
11 miles: 1 mile warm up (7:45) + 10 miles in 1:07.25 - 6:44 pace (7:04, 6:57, 6:55, 6;52, 6:49, 6:44, 6:39, 6;30, 6:27, 6:25)
I know 10 miles isn't exactly a long run for a marathon, but I'm still over 90 days away from the big race, so it's a start. Even if the mileage isn't quite there, I wanted to start executing the techniques of the long run that mimic the marathon. I ran at the same time the marathon starts (6:00am), I did my same morning ritual including my breakfast, warm up, stretch routine, and race clothes. The course was a 2.43 mile dit loop with a couple mild hills that I ran 4 times, then tacked on a bit more to hit 10.
Most importantly, I wanted to focus on PACE. The key to the marathon is patience patience patience. In a 10 mile run, you don't need the same kind of patience as 26.2 miler, but the same concept applies. My goal was to start off at about 7:00 pace and gradually cut down to 6:30 for an overall average of 6:45. As you can see above, I nailed it!
It was a cool, overcast morning - perfect for a long run. I felt great, and the run gave me a lot of confidence. I finished the run fast but controlled and felt strong. I could've gone a couple more miles at that pace if I had to, though I'd have had to press more than I would have wanted to on this day. The feeling of finishing strong is such an empowering feeling especially compared to that feeling of battling through the wall because you went out too fast.
One last point I want to make. I didn't hit 10 miles and go from 6:25 pace to STOP immediately. I lightly jogged for a few minutes allowing my heart rate to drop. That's an important tip to remember anytime you finish your run fast.
