Long SLOW Distance

This morning, I totally surprised myself by completing my longest run ever, of 7 miles, without walk breaks, on a hilly route, and at a slightly faster pace than my previous longest run -- last month's 10K (90+ minutes of running). I kept my HR in the 150s (upper Z3/lower Z4) and didn't worry about time, which seems to be a good strategy for me. I felt great for most of the run, then a little woozy around mile 6, and then it didn't feel like my head was connected to my arms and legs at the end, but they did manage to respond to my order to sprint the last 100 yards.

It is a beautiful crisp, clear, sunny fall day at the beach, and I started off with hat, gloves, and a thermal layer under a LS shirt, plus tights. By the end of the first mile, the gloves were gone, and a less warm hat might have been a better choice. I've finally gotten comfortable with my water bottle belt, so I carried a bottle of accelerade and a power bar, and was able to refuel at the half way point, and then towards the end of the run, until my tummy felt funky.

I love this route -- its a 3.5 mile loop that starts with a short down hill, a steep hill straight over Atlantic HIll, then a long steady down which takes you to Stoney Beach. It winds along the beach and those houses for a bit, then at the end of the beach, turns off through a beautiful neighborhood that surrounds a large tidal pond which is mostly flat, but has a few gentle rises. It finishes along the second road into my town, with a gradual uphill on the back side of Atlantic Hill, a short down towards the ocean again, and then back up the hill to my house.

By the end of next month, three full loops!