20 Miler in the Books!

Workout: 20 Mile Long Run

So I said to myself… Tom…. Do not run faster than 9’s on this run. I have been feeling a bit out of shape lately and have skipped several of the shorter runs. This is not the time to make up for missed training.

I have been very nervous about my fitness level. I think compared to last year at this time I am way ahead, but compared to May of this year I’m behind and that is the yardstick I’m comparing myself to. Probably not a good measure because I was crazy over the top focused on my time in May. In any event, I though I should just take it easy and just take what the course gave me.

The 20 miler was the culminating long run for all 3 of the Gazelle programs so they worked out a point to point along the Kal Haven Trail. Basically we started in Kalamazoo and ran 20 miles West on this old converted train bed. It was really neat. We started out around 7:00am and it was still pretty dark. There must have been 50 or 60 people all doing 20 miles. It was cool to start out and hear all the footsteps and excited chatter going on around me. It was drizzling a bit but nothing terrible and the canopy from the trees kept us pretty dry. There we all were, a lot of nervous energy running through the woods in the early morning light. Awesome!

So anyway I immediately hooked up with the J’s. The gave me a certain amount of grief for not being around much lately but accepted my list of excuses (Football games, other races, had to work, etc…). Anyway I announced my 9:00/m plan and they all said that was fine with them. Of course the first mile we ran at about 8:15. This was going to be a long day!

We cliped along at sub 8:30’s for a long time and at about mile 13 I knew the last few miles would be a mental struggle. We all stayed together until about 17 when Chuck (one of the guys I run with) started having knee pain and wanted to hang back. I was more than happy to hang with him, but still we were clipping off 9:00’s. I was tired but doing better than I thought I was going to. I kept thinking… how did this compare to my 20 before SD. No question, this was a lot harder. But how did this compare to my last 20 before Detroit, no question, felt stronger.

I lost Chuck at 18. His knee had had enough and he was done so I was on my own the last 2. Mile 18 was a chore but I felt OK, and mile 19 I just kind of died, but was able to bring it on in. Not bad considering I thought the last 5 would feel like that. It was only the last mile and I attribute some of that to being alone and the rain kicking up.

So what have I learned from this run? First don’t start out too fast, and Second, I’m not in as bad of shape as I think I am. We’ll hope both of these lessons are true on the 21st in Chicago.

Good run, very hard but mentally it was a good exercise.

20.10 miles/2:52:57/avg 8:36