View from the top of Mount Goldie. We started down in that valley. Way, way down in that valley!
Total time: 36.03
Total distance: 6.09km
Average pace: 5.55min/km
Average HR: 166bpm (86%)
Wednesday was tough. Normally on hills I feel fairly strong. But every step of every hill was a mental and physical struggle. I finished all 9 repetitions, but it was hard!
Total time: 1.29.21
Total distance: 14.13km
Total elevation: 192m
Average pace: 6.20min/km
Average HR: 170bpm (Max HR: 190bpm)
Then on Friday, I woke up with the start of a cold. It makes me wonder whether I was truly "still recovering" this week, or whether my increased heart rate and feelings of sluggishness were rather the first signs of getting sick.
But despite how I felt, 32k is 32k. And today was my day to get that distance under my feet!
As it turns out, it wasn't my day. Not really. 1k into the run I realized that my elevated heart rate gave me two options: 1) stick to the HR training and start my run at a 9.30min pace (which would have me finish my run in about 5.5 hours), or 2) Do my run by pace/feel even if it meant a higher HR, but finish in around 4-4.5 hours.
I quickly opted to run by pace/feel!
And let me tell you, I was not feeling good. At 2km in I realized that I had to return to the start to use the bathroom. (Ugh!!! That's TWO long runs in a row where this has happened! I need to start getting up earlier before I head out!).
After using the bathroom - which was thankfully unlocked! - I returned to my route, where strong reflux plagued me for the next 10km. It was bad enough that I found myself spitting out bits of my breakfast every 20m or so. Every step was a struggle, and I thought numerous times of giving in. But around 12km things started to feel better. My reflux died down, and my heart rate settled out. I even saw some beautiful deer to make me smile!
Because I wasn't running by heart rate I knew I would need walk breaks. And because I hadn't set up my watch for 10:1 splits, I had strong doubts that I would be able to remember the math for the split times accurately as the distance crept upwards. So I opted to do a 1 min walk break at every 2km. These walk-breaks became such a mental and emotional lift for me after the 19km mark!
At 27km I returned to the car, swapped out my empty water bottles for full ones, and continued on the final stretch. Stubbornly, I opted to do 33km instead of 32km just to prove to myself I could. I lied through my teeth and pretended that going out another 3k on the second loop wouldn't be that hard.
By 30km (at the turn-around), I began to chant to myself:
Come on Legs, You can do it!
Not long now; Just get through it!
Every step I repeated this mantra to myself. Since none of the other park users gave me weird looks as I went by, I'm presuming that I didn't actually say this out loud.
Total time: 4.21.14
Total distance: 33.50km
Total elevation: 141m
Average pace: 7.49min/km
Average HR: 141bpm (73% of max)
So I can safely say that while today's long run didn't start out as a great day, at the very least I stuck with it and made it through to the finish.
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